MATCH INFORMATION
MATCH #5: Cornell at Virginia Commonwealth
MATCH TIME: Friday, Sept. 9, 2011; 7:00 p.m.
MATCH SITE: Verizon Wireless Arena (Richmond, Va.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 1-0
LAST MEETING: Cornell won, 3-0, on Sept. 18, 1998
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (1-3); Virginia Commonwealth (2-5)
LIVE STATS: www.VCUathletics.com
LIVE VIDEO: www.VCUathletics.com

MATCH #6: Cornell vs. George Washington
MATCH TIME: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011; Noon
MATCH SITE: Verizon Wireless Arena (Richmond, Va.)
SERIES RECORD: George Washington leads, 2-0
LAST MEETING: George Washington defeated Cornell, 3-0, on Sept. 25, 1992
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (1-3); George Washington (6-0)*
LIVE STATS: www.VCUathletics.com
LIVE VIDEO: www.VCUathletics.com

MATCH #7: Cornell vs. North Carolina A&T State
MATCH TIME: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011; 3:00 p.m.
MATCH SITE: Verizon Wireless Arena (Richmond, Va.)
SERIES RECORD: First Meeting
LAST MEETING: First Meeting
2011 RECORDS: Cornell (1-3); NC A&T State (0-6)*
LIVE STATS: www.VCUathletics.com
LIVE VIDEO: www.VCUathletics.com

* Prior to games played on Sept. 9

THE MATCH UP: The Big Red volleyball team will travel to the Virginia Commonwealth Tournament this weekend where it will face the host Rams on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7:00 p.m., before coming back the next day to play George Washington and North Carolina A&T State at noon and 3:00 p.m., respectively. Live stats and live video will be available at VCUathletics.com.

THE SERIES VS. VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH: Cornell is a perfect 1-0 in the series history with Virginia Commonwealth, having won the only meeting, 3-0, in 1998.

SCOUTING THE RAMS: VCU is off to a 2-5 start after falling to Georgetown, 3-0, in its last outing. The team is led by Kristen Boyd and Jessica Ojukwu with 3.32 and 2.14 kills per set, respectively. Setter Cecilia Aragao is averaging just 6.38 assists per set, while libero Amanda Love leads the team with 2.68 digs per set.

VS. THE COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: The Big Red is currently 15-24 against the current members of the CAA. Cornell has a winning record against Towson (3-2), James Madison (1-0) and William & Mary and an even mark of 2-2 against George Mason, but a losing record vs. Delaware (2-3), Hofstra (1-7) and Northeastern (4-9). The Big Red has never faced Georgia State, UNC Wilmington or VCU in volleyball.

THE SERIES VS. GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Colonials hold a perfect 2-0 record in the series with the Big Red, but the two teams have not met since 1992.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS: George Washington is off to an undefeated 6-0 start, winning its last four outings in straight sets. The Colonials have seven players registering more than 2.00 kills per set with Lauren Whyte leading the way with 4.83 kps. Jamie Armstrong is hitting a team-best .338 (41-14-80) and is proving to be a force at the net with a team high 17 blocks. Setter Katie Crosby is averaging an impressive 11.90 assists per set and libero Candace Silva-Martin is posting an outstanding 5.00 digs per set.

VS. THE ATLANTIC 10: Cornell is 10-4 all-time against the current members of the Atlantic 10. The Big Red is a perfect 3-0 against both Duquesne and La Salle and is 2-0 against Fordham. Cornell also has a winning record against Temple (2-1), but a losing mark against Charlotte (0-1) and George Washington (0-2). The Big Red has never faced Dayton, Rhode Island, Saint Louis or Xavier in volleyball.

THE SERIES VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE: The game against the Aggies will be the first in volleyball program history for the Big Red.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES: NC A&T State has struggled to an 0-6 start to the season, having yet to win a single set. As a team, the Aggies are hitting -.077 without a single player posting a positive hitting percentage. The offense is led by Jenea Daniels 1.56 kills per set, while Tatiana Cooper has chipped in 1.44 kps. Setter Chelsea Fox averages 4.28 assists per set.

VS. THE MEAC: Cornell holds a 9-0 record all-time vs. the current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, thanks mostly to a 7-0 record against Howard. The Big Red is also 1-0 against Morgan State and Delaware State, but has never faced Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State or Savannah State.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: Janel Forte was named to the Cornell Invitational All-Tournament team after leading the Big Red over the course of four matches with a .250 hitting percentage and 2.54 kills per set.

SEASON OPENERS: Cornell is 27-12-1 all-time in season openers. Since 1995, the Big Red is an impressive 14-3 in the first match of the season.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Seniors Risa Ka'awa, Madeleine Przybyl and Meagan Tatum have been named captains for the 2011 season

FRESH FACES: The Big Red adds four freshmen to the team this season - Sarah Hunt (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Sarah Okey (Clarksville, Md.), Kelly Reinke (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and Natasha Rowland (Palm Harbor, Fla.). The group is well-balanced, consisting of a middle blocker, an outside hitter, a setter and a libero. The incoming class also draws from three different states, with the group representing Florida, Illinois and Maryland.

HI! MY NAME IS … : There is a new face on the Cornell sideline, as Patrick Lynch joins Coach Sarah Bernson's staff as an assistant coach. He joins the staff while pursuing an MBA in Cornell's Johnson School of Management. Lynch had a four-year career with the University of Illinois men's volleyball club team. During his time with the Fighting Illini, he also spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant for the nationally ranked women's varsity program. After graduating in 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology, Lynch became an Infantry Officer with the 1st Marine Division where he led over 300 combat missions in Iraq and was awarded the Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement Medals for actions in combat. Lynch went on to become a Training Officer and eventually an Operations Officer at the Camp Fuji Training Center in Shizouka, Japan.

UP NEXT: Cornell will travel to the University at Buffalo's Blue and White Classic next weekend where it will face Dayton on Friday, Sept. 16 at 4:30 p.m. The next morning the Big Red will take on the host Bulls at 10:00 a.m., before wrapping up the tournament against Syracuse at 5 p.m.