When             Friday, Sept. 6 at 12 p.m. vs. Delaware State
                        Friday, Sept. 6 at 4:30 p.m. vs. Tennessee Tech
                        Saturday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. vs. Charlotte
Where            Halton Arena | Charlotte, N.C.
Stream           ESPN+ (Match vs. Charlotte only)
Series            Towson leads Delaware State 12-0
                       Towson leads Tennessee Tech 1-0
                       Towson leads Charlotte 1-0
 
TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University Tigers volleyball team is set to travel to Charlotte, N.C. to compete in the Charlotte Invitational. The Tigers will face Delaware State, Tennessee Tech and Charlotte over two days at Halton Arena.
 
LAST WEEK'S RECAP
Towson opened the 2024 campaign with the Towson-Morgan State Invitational last weekend, finishing the weekend 4-0 with two sweeps (Duquesne, Morgan State) and two five-set victories (Saint Francis, Lehigh) at TU Arena.
 
Towson University outside hitter Victoria Barrett led the way for the Black & Gold with a double-double in the opening match vs. Saint Francis (20 kills, 16 digs) and double-digit kill totals (20, 16, 11, 14) in all four to begin the year. Against Lehigh on Saturday night, four Tigers accumulated double-digit kills (Nakai - 19, Barrett - 11, De Mango - 10, Callender - 10).
 
The Tigers are one of three teams in the league to escape the first weekend of play unscathed, at 4-0 (North Carolina A&T: 2-0, Stony Brook: 3-0).
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Towson entered the 2024 season as the preseason favorite in the Coastal Athletic Association. The Tigers bring back nine returners from last season's 24-6 run, including two-time All-CAA first team selection and 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honorable mention Victoria Barrett.
 
Barrett was voted as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year and a preseason first team All-CAA selection after totaling a career-high 354 kills last season, averaging 3.34 kills/set, the fourth-best mark in the league. Barrett notched double-digit kills in 20 of 30 matches played.
 
Junior middle blocker Erin Brothers and junior defensive specialist/libero Sydney Stewart each garnered All-CAA honorable mention accolades in the preseason poll. Brothers ranked fourth in the CAA in blocks/set in 2023, averaging 0.99. Stewart averaged 4.22 digs/set a season ago, planting her third in the league. Stewart totaled double-digit digs in 24 of 28 matches played.
 
The 2024 roster features 15 newcomers, including six freshman and nine transfers. Highlighting the group is transfer Sarah Callender from William & Mary, Belmont transfer Izzy Schauer, and freshmen outside hitter Ava Nakai and setter Kaitlyn Moran.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Delaware State enters the invitational at 0-3, with losses against Stony Brook, James Madison and Presbyterian. The Hornets lost in straight sets vs. the Dukes, and five sets vs. the Seawolves and the Blue Hose. The Hornets have two preseason All-MEAC selections in middle blocker Kelsie Dawson and opposite hitter Alondra Maldonado.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Tennessee Tech comes into the weekend at 3-0 with straight-set victories over Austin Peay, Memphis and Mississippi Valley State. The Golden Eagles were picked fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference predicted order of finish. They boast three All-OVC honorees in Madolyn Isringhausen, Jordan Karlen and Mallory Jenkins (Players to Watch).
 
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Charlotte enters the weekend at 2-3 with straight-set victories over Charleston Southern and Norfolk State. The 49ers were picked to finish 11th in the American Athletic Association (AAC) among the league's head coaches. Middle blocker Lara Kretschmer was selected to the preseason All-AAC team.
 
LEADING THE AMBUSH
Outside hitter Victoria Barrett stands first in the CAA and tied for 11th in Division 1 with 61 kills through four matches (16 sets). Middle blocker Ylenia De Mango leads the CAA and stands fifth nationally in Division 1 with 24 total blocks through the opening weekend of play. Defensive specialist Sydney Stewart leads the league with nine service aces and is tied for 19th among national leaders in the category.
 
HITTING THE SWEET SPOT
Towson holds the top hitting percentage in the conference after the opening weekend of play with a .252 clip. The next closest team is Stony Brook at .224. The Tigers stand second in the league with 192 total kills through 16 sets. The Seawolves stand first with 193 over 15 sets.
 
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
-Since 2015, Towson has been one of the top teams in the CAA. The Tigers have recorded a 95-27 record in league play since then, including a record-setting 16-0 mark in 2019.
-Towson finished conference play at 14-2 last season, including their first three-set loss in league play since 2018.
-The Black & Gold finished with a 15-1 mark two seasons ago, going a perfect 8-0 at home.                 
-Three years ago, The Tigers went 12-4 and never got swept.
2023 14-2 | 2022: 15-1 | 2021: 12-4 | 2021 (spring): 2-0 | 2019: 16-0 | 2018: 10-6 | 2017: 12-4 | 2016: 10-6 | 2015: 12-4 | Total: 103-27 (.792)
 
TOP OF THE CHARTS
- Now in his 23rd season as an NCAA volleyball head coach, Coach Don Metil has amassed 479 wins.
- Metil is 479-212 all-time (.693) as a head coach.
- Metil's records by school: Notre Dame College: 40-30 | Lees-McRae: 30-9
Coppin State: 15-46 | Maryland Eastern Shore: 145-45 | Towson: 249-82
- Metil passed Cathy Cain as the all-time wins leader after knocking off #7 Pittsburgh on Sept. 10th, 2022.
- Don Metil: 249-82 (2013-Pres.) | Cathy Cain: 201-143 (1989-98) | Chris Riley: 144-54 (2000-05)
 
HOW TO SAY IT: TOWSON
TOWSON is pronounced TOW like towel + Son.
 
IT IS NOT: TOE-son, Townson, Towsond, Townsend, Townsen, Towzen. One N, no Z.
 
We are Towson University, no longer Towson State University (and haven't been since July 1, 1997).
 
Our mascot is Doc the Tiger, named after Donald "Doc" Minnegan, long-time soccer coach and athletics department administrator. Towson became the "Tigers" in 1962 after John Schuerholz (yes, the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame General Manager) pushed for the name change from the "Towson College Knights".