PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne volleyball team opens the season at the two-day Youngstown State/DoubleTree-Youngstown Invitational on Friday and Saturday, August 27-28 at the Beeghly Center.
 
The Dukes will open play on Friday against host-Youngstown State at 12 p.m. (ESPN+) and close out the day with a match against Saint Francis U at 5 p.m. (YouTube). Duquesne will conclude play on Saturday at 12 p.m. with a match against Akron (YouTube).
 
Admission to all matches is free. YSU will require face coverings for all fans, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public settings on its campus.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE

• All-Time Series: Duquesne leads, 19-9
• First Meeting: Nov. 8, 1986 at Youngstown State – DU won 3-2
• Last Meeting: Sept. 1, 2018 at Duquesne – YSU won 3-0 I Recap | Box Score
• Streak: Youngstown State, +1

SERIES BREAKDOWN VS. SAINT FRANCIS U

• All-Time Series: Duquesne leads, 31-1
• First Meeting: Oct. 29, 1986 at Duquesne – DU won 3-0
• Last Meeting: Sept. 4, 2018 at Duquesne – DU won 3-2 I Recap | Box Score
• Streak: Duquesne, +9

SERIES BREAKDOWN VS. AKRON

• All-Time Series: Akron leads, 7-3
• First Meeting: Sept. 16, 1986 at Duquesne – DU won 3-2
• Last Meeting: Sept. 4, 2004 at Duquesne – Akron won 3-0 I Recap | Box Score
• Streak: Akron, +1

DUQUESNE ALL-TIME AT THE BEEGHLY CENTER

• Duquesne holds an all-time record of 8-8 in matches played at the Beeghly Center, including an 8-5 mark against Youngstown State.
• The Dukes are playing in a multi-match event at Youngstown State for the first time since 2006. Duquesne was defeated in five sets by Saint Francis U, Bowling Green State and Morehead State, before suffering a three-set loss to Youngstown State to close out the event.

QUICK HITS

• The Dukes were picked to finish fifth in the annual Atlantic 10 Preseason Volleyball Poll.
• Duquesne is coming off of a 1-8 mark in the abbreviated spring 2021 season.
• Duquesne played eight of its nine matches this past spring against league front-runners Dayton, VCU and Saint Louis.
• The team will return its leaders in virtually every statistical category, including outside hitter Morgan Kelly.
• Kelly, who was a member of the 2019 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, led the team and ranked eighth in the A-10 with 2.96 kills per set in the spring.
• Middle Hitter Anita Parrott started eight matches and led the team and ranked fourth in the Atlantic 10 with 1.11 blocks per set.
• Parrott also led the team with a .253 hitting percentage this past spring.
• Setter Hailey Poling started all nine matches and ranked eighth in the A-10 with 7.46 assists per set.
• Libero Ashley Larson appeared in all nine matches and led the team with 3.31 digs per set.
• Duquesne will play each of its first 13 matches on the road, including all 11 of its non-conference matches.
• The Dukes will play their home-opener on Friday, October 1 against Dayton at 7 p.m.
• Duquesne all-time has earned 31 wins against Saint Francis U and 19 victories versus Youngstown State, which rank second and third in terms of wins versus a non-conference opponent. Duquesne's 34 wins against Robert Morris is the most all-time against a non-conference opponent.
• Duquesne has won 31 of 32 meeting against Saint Francis U all-time. The Red Flash picked up their only win in the series versus the Dukes on Sept. 15, 2006 at Youngstown State.
• All three of Duquesne's opponents this weekend were part of the program's inaugural Division I schedule in 1986. The then-Duchessess played 12 years at the club and Division II level prior to 1986.

DUQUESNE HEAD COACH STEVE OPPERMAN (Ohio State '87)

• Steve Opperman enters his 24^th season as the head coach of the Dukes in 2021.
• He owns a career-record of 449-450 and a mark of 330-334 at Duquesne.
• The New Bremen, Ohio native is Duquesne's all-time winningest coach with 330 career victories.
• He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (co-2001, co-2004, co-2010 and 2013).
• Opperman coached the first two AVCA All-Americans in program history, Liz Homan (2010) and Arielle Love (2014).
• The Ohio State alum has coached 14 First or Second Team A-10 All-Conference players (a total of 22 times).
• He has coached 22 A-10 All-Rookie Team member.
• Opperman arrived in Pittsburgh in 1998 after spending seven seasons as the head coach at Wright State, where he amassed a record of 119-116 from 1991-97.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS (ROSTER | SCHEDULE | SPRING 2021 STATS)

• Youngstown State is coming off of a 3-11 spring season.
• The Penguins were picked 10^th in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.
• YSU will be led by Josi Borum, who is the team's leading returner in total kills (122), total assists (107) and total digs (93).
• Lexie Beeke led YSU with 3.42 assists per set, but she missed the final five matches of the spring.

SCOUTING THE RED FLASH (ROSTER | SCHEDULE | 2019 STATS)

• Saint Francis U did not compete last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Red Flash went 3-25 in 2019.
• SFU was picked to finish seventh in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Poll.
• The Red Flash will return Madi Tyus, who led the team and finished third in the NEC with 326 kills in 2019.
• SFU will also feature Nicole Adams, who led the team in service aces and finished second in kills, blocks and digs two years ago. 

SCOUTING THE ZIPS (ROSTER | SCHEDULE | SPRING 2021 STATS)

• Akron went 6-16 during its conference-only spring 2021 season.
• The Zips were picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Volleyball East Division Preseason Poll.
• Akron libero Taylor Sharrits was named to the Preseason All-MAC Team. She was the Spring 2021 MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Sharrits led the nation with 535 total digs and ranked fifth in the NCAA with 5.94 digs per set.