ABOUT THE MARAUDERS
• Millersville has matched its best start in program history at 7-1 but PSAC action begins Friday against Mercyhurst and continues against Gannon. The Marauders went 6-12 in league action one season ago but are off to a strong start thanks to an efficient attack that ranks second in the PSAC in hitting percentage (.242), third in kills and first in assists.
•
Erin Harman's 3.8 kills per set ranks third in the league, and freshman
Lindsey Blevins isn't far behind in fifth with 3.65 kills per set.
• Harman is closing in on becoming the third Marauder (Jennie Rohrbaugh and Allison Huss) to reach 1,000 kills and digs.She enters the weekend 32 digs shy of the milestone. Her 1,095 career kills is six shy of recent Millersville University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Michelle Kratz Lehman for fifth place all-time.
• While she has served as the primary setter in six of the team's eight matches,
Katie Laughman still ranks eighth in the PSAC in assists per set at 8.73. Laughman has recorded double-digit digs to go with at least 33 assists three times this season.
• Freshman
Courtney Turocy has quickly become a weapon as a server. Turocy has 13 aces in 19 sets played, and her 0.68 aces per set ranks second in the PSAC. Turocy has at least one ace in five consecutive matches. She totaled four against both USciences and Felician.
Fellow freshman
Kat Forry ranks eighth in the league in digs per set at 4.73. Forry has tallied at least 11 digs in seven consecutive matches and has recorded more than 20 twice.
ABOUT THE SERIES
• In 2016, Mercyhurst swept Millersville in three closely contested sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-21). The Marauders hit just .105, committing 17 attack errors. Mercyhurst totaled 40 kills. Millersville and Mercyhurst first met in 1993, and Mercyhurst holds a 12-3 lead in the all-time series. Millersville's last win in the series came by a 3-1 score in 2011.
• Millersville won the opening set (25-21) of last season's meeting in Erie before Gannon won the final three by scores of 25-21, 25-9, 25-15. In that opening set, Millersville recorded 15 kills to three errors in the opening set. Five came from Kelsi Ceriani. Gannon finished the match out-hitting the Marauders .262-.115 and totaling 11 blocks to Millersville's 4. The series started with a Gannon sweep in 1992. The teams have since met 15 times with Millersville winning only twice--both coming in 1994. Gannon has won nine consecutive meetings.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• Mercyhurst has posted five consecutive winning seasons, and 2016 marked the end of a run in which the Lakers won at least 12 league matches for four consecutive seasons. The Lakers are off to a 5-6 start but have won five of six after starting the season 0-5. Shelby Chesko leads the team in kills at 3.02 per set. Makayla Molle has totaled 19 service aces and also leads the team with 6.15 assists per set.
• Gannon won its division last season, going 31-4 overall and 16-2 against the PSAC. The Golden Knights won the PSAC championship before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Gannon has reached the NCAA Tournament each season since 2009. Both of Gannon's losses have been in extra sets including a five-setter to Minnesota State-Mankato. Gannon has out-hit opponents .240-.113, ranking third in the PSAC in hitting percentage. Gannon has already totaled 106 blocks this season, averaging 2.59 per set, which is a PSAC lead. By comparison, Millersville has totaled just 26 blocks. Maggie Wilhelm (1.05 per set) and Rebekah Smith (0.89 per set) comprise the only teammates to rank in the top 10 in the PSAC in blocks.
