PITTSBURGH - The Duquesne University volleyball team is set for its second weekend of conference play, traveling to VCU for a pair of matches.

THE BASICS 

September 29 & 30, 2023 | 6:00 PM (Friday) | 5:00 PM (Saturday) 

Siegel Center (Richmond, VA)

Duquesne Dukes (6-4, 1-1 A-10) 

• Streak: W1 | Roster | Stats | Schedule

VCU Rams (5-7, 2-0 A-10) 

• Streak: W2 | Roster | Stats | Schedule 

GAMEDAY COVERAGE

• FRIDAY:  Watch Live on ESPN+  |  Follow Live Stats  |  Gameday Central 
• SATURDAY:  Watch Live on ESPN+  |  Follow Live Stats  |  Gameday Central 

THE DUKES 

• The Dukes are coming in off a split at Fordham to open conference play. The Dukes lost the opener in five sets and won the rematch in three. It was the only split on opening weekend in the A-10.

• Freshman Chloe Wilmot won her second A-10 Freshman of the Week award, last week, after tallying 92 assists over the two matches against Fordham. Wilmot currently leads the A-10 averaging 11.11 assists per set 

• Three Dukes picked up double-digit kills in the win against Fordham. Sophomore Carsyn Henschen tallied 16, grad student Morgan Gish got 11 and freshman Avery Hobson also tallied 11. Hobson and Gish are each in the triple digits for kills on the season, with 135 and 106 respectively. Henschen is two kills away from the century mark.  

• Hobson's 3.65 kills per set is good for third in the A-10 this season. Henschen and Gish are in seventh and eighth respectively with 3.16 and 3.03.  

• Wilmot's 11.11 assists per set is good for first in the A-10 and eighth best in the country in Division I.  

THE RAMS 

• The VCU Rams are coming off a sweep of Saint Louis to open conference play, winning the first match in five sets then following it up with a four-set winnner on Saturday.

• The Rams have two players with over 100 kills in senior Ana Brangioni with 109 and junior Parker Hartzell with 102. The two are 18th and 24th in the A-10 in kills per set respectively. 

• Freshman Anja Kujundzic leads the Rams with 188 digs on the season. Her 4.18 digs per set is seventh in the A-10.  

• Grad student AnnaBelle Tomei leads VCU with 222 assists on the season. 

• VCU was picked to finish fifth in the A-10 preseason poll. 

THE SERIES 

• Duquesne is 7-17 against VCU all-time in a series that dates back to 1993. VCU is 15-5 all-time against the Dukes in A-10 regular season play.  

• The two teams split the doubleheader last year with VCU taking the first match in five sets and Duquesne taking the rematch in four. 

STRONG START 

• Duquesne's 5-1 record was the school's best start since 2012.  

• Last year the Dukes didn't win their fifth game until October 22, while this year they reached five wins in their sixth game on September 2. 

ATLANTIC 10 WEEKLY HONORS FOR THE DUKES

• Rookie of the Week (3) - Chloe Wilmot (9/25 and 8/29) and Avery Hobson (9/5)

• Player of the Week (1) - Morgan Gish (9/5)

DOUBLE-DOUBLES THIS SEASON 

• Morgan Gish (4) - vs. Canisius (9/01), at Robert Morris (9/02), at Fordham (9/22), at Fordham (9/23) 

• Camille Spencer (2) - vs. Canisius x2 (9/01) 

• Avery Hobson (5) - vs. Canisius x2 (9/01), at Robert Morris (9/02), vs Queens (9/16), at Fordham (9/23) 

• Chloe Wilmot (4) - at Binghamton (8/26), vs. Canisius (9/01), vs. Queens (9/16), at Fordham (9/22).

PRESEASON POLL 

• Duquesne was picked to finish eighth out of 10 in the A-10 Preseason Poll after an 8-22 (5-13 A-10) record in 2022. 

• Defending A-10 champion Loyola Chicago was tabbed the favorite with 97 points and seven first place votes. Dayton (2) and Davidson (1) also received first-place votes, taking second and third in the poll. 

FRESHMAN STARTERS  

• Coach Opperman brought in four talented freshmen this season, three of which started on opening weekend: Jordan Robertson, Avery Hobson, and Chloe Wilmot. 

• Successful players at the highest club and high school levels, the trio has started all 10 matches this season, three of four Dukes to do so (Graduate transfer Morgan Gish).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS 

• Jordan Robertson – Virginia Tech Classic 

• Morgan Gish (MVP), Chloe Wilmot, Avery Hobson – RMU Invite 

• Carsyn Henschen, Madison Grimm – Binghamton Invitational 

WINNINGEST COACH IN PROGRAM HISTORY 

• The Dukes are led by 26th year head coach Steve Opperman. 

• With an all-time record of 357-376 at Duquesne, Opperman has the most wins of any coach in program history. 

• Four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (co-2001, co-2004, co-2010 and 2013) 

• Opperman, whose teams have appeared in nine of the past 13 Atlantic 10 postseason tournaments, guided the Dukes to the school's first A-10 regular season and tournament championship in 2013. The 2013 Dukes went on to make the first NCAA Championship appearance in school history. 

• Opperman entered the season with 470 career wins (Wright State & Duquesne). 

ACADEMIC SUCCESS 

• Duquesne earned its fifth consecutive and 13th overall AVCA Team Academic Award for its classroom success last year. 

• DU's 13 AVCA Academic Awards most in A-10 since 1992-93 

UP NEXT 

• Duquesne will be back home for the first time in over a month for conference play vs. Dayton on Oct. 3, and against Saint Louis on Oct. 6 and 7. 
   

FOLLOW THE DUKES 

For the latest news and updates for Duquesne volleyball, follow @DuqVB on Twitter (X) and Instagram.