PITTSBURGH – For the first time in 464 days, the Duquesne volleyball team is set to compete in a match, opening the Spring 2021 slate against VCU at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Friday at 4:00 p.m. The Atlantic 10 moved fall sports to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Friday's matchup against the Rams will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
• Live Stats will be provided on goduquesne.com.
• Follow @DuqVB on Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

• The match will not be open to the general public. A small number of tickets will be made available to the team.    

• "It's going to be a match-by-match situation," said head coach Steve Opperman said of his team leadership. "We have younger kids stepping up and doing really nice things. We have great women on our team that are true leaders. Claire Boe and Maria Mosbacher have done a really nice job keeping everyone calm through all of this and making the most of the opportunities that they get. Whether it's just being in the gym for half-an-hour touching the ball or the weight room. They have done a good job of keeping the team together. In 2019, we were young and started a lot of freshmen. We will probably start a lot of sophomores this year. The kids are doing a great job and staying after it is the big thing."

• "We're fortunate to be playing," continued Opperman "We're playing the number one (Dayton) and number two (VCU) ranked teams three times this year. Whether it's fair or not, we don't care. That's the schedule we're given. Our kids are ready to battle. That's how we get better. You want to play the better teams. We're just looking match-to-match to make sure our kids are putting themselves in a good position to be successful and that is what we're tying to do as well. Each opportunity to touch a ball, we're trying to get better."

• "It's a building block for us," said Opperman on the opening of the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. "The facility is amazing. From us being in the arena, the practice gym and the unbelievable strength and conditioning area, having a place where you don't have to worry about the height of the ceiling where balls are hitting the ceiling is crucial. We have the capability of using both the back gym and the front gym to train. We're getting in there for the first time this week and getting our kids acclimated to the facility. They're looking forward to it and are very appreciative of the opportunity to play there."

• "We've been working with Hailey Poling on her leadership. Playing that setter position is an extension of the coaching staff. She has to make the right decisions on the floor and she's doing a really nice job of that. She's learning every day and trying to gain as much knowledge as she can."
• "Morgan Kelly has really elevated her game. We haven't played against anyone yet this season, but what she was doing freshmen year in the gym to what she is doing now with arm speed and court movement and things like that, she is doing just that."
•  "Ashley Larson will more than likely be our starting libero again this year. She's one of those kids that is a solid calm player on the court, but also one of those kids that brings a lot of energy to the floor. From that class, we will probably have 3-4 of those kids starting. It's an important class and they're doing some really nice things right now." - Opperman

• "The kids have been great," said Opperman of his players adjustment to a COVID-19 season. "We trained in the fall and the kids got adjusted and used to it. When we got back in January, they were ready and prepared to play. It's very different for us. We are one of the very few sports playing masked. It's a little more challenging for us as well. Some kids have breathing issues and what not. It's been ok. We just have to make adjustments here-or-there to have in place. We're just trying to operate as normal as possible without worrying about what's going on." 

30 SEASONS STRONG: Opperman's 30th season as a Division I head coach won't look anything like his previous 29 seasons. A new arena, COVID-19 protocols and a spring season are among the challenges that highlight his 23rd season on the Bluff. He looks to guide the Dukes to its 10th Atlantic 10 Championship appearance over the past 11 seasons. He stands just two wins shy of 450 career victories. 

SCOUTING VCU: The Rams have played in six matches to date and hold a 5-1 record. Its lone loss has come against Duke in its latest contest. VCU earned four sweeps to begin its season, and did not drop a set until its third set of the fifth match of the season against Saint Louis. Lauren King leads the squad with 3.26 kills/set. King currently ranks 77^th in the nation in hitting percentage. As a team, VCU ranks sixth in the country in blocks per set (3.20) and have two players ranked in the top-30 in blocks per set and three ranked in the top 100.