Zips To Host Akron Invitational

AKRON, Ohio- The Akron volleyball team will have its home opener Sept. 8-10 as the Zips host the Akron Invitational. Akron will face Cleveland State, Valparaiso, and Morgan State.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 8
Akron vs. Cleveland State |6 p.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9
Valpo vs. Morgan State |11 a.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena | Live Stats
Akron vs. Valpo | 6 p.m. | James A. Rhodes Arena

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10
Akron vs. Morgan State | 11 a.m | James A. Rhodes Arena

GAME COVERAGE
Akron vs. Cleveland State | Live Stats |Watch
Akron vs. Valpo | Live Stats | Watch
Akron vs. Morgan State | Live Stats | Watch

ABOUT THE ZIPS
Akron opens its first year under head coach Tyson Norton. Akron stands 0-3 overall after dropping matches to Eastern Illinois (3-0), Oakland (3-2), and Butler (3-2) last weekend at the Top Dawg Challenge. The Zips return 10 players from last season including junior Faith Johnson (Naperville, Ill.) who had 232 kills, averaging 2.21 kills per set, senior Teagan Ochaya (Mentor, Ohio) with 279 kills, averaging 2.79 kills per set, and sophomore Karleighana Jones (White Plains, N.Y.) who led the squad with 81 total blocks.

The Zips welcome two freshmen in Chloe Werner (Waterford, Wisc.) and Avery Brown (Decatur, Ga.) while bringing in three transfers in Samantha Sabra (San Pedro, Calif.), Mia Thompson (Delaware, Ohio), and Matalasi Danielson (Stockton, Calif.).

Akron stands 1-5 overall after going 1-2 over the weekend at the Seton Hall Invite. Akron fell to Iona and Seton Hall in five-sets, while registering its first win of the season against Geroge Mason, 3-1. Ochaya and Johnson led the Zips with 43 and 35 kills, whole Jones registered 26 kills. Ochaya and Vought paced Akron serving by securing five aces, while Kinnaird led Akron above the net with 12 blocks.

On the season, Ochaya leads the Zips with 79 kills averaging 3.09 kills per set, while Johnson has 69 kills, averaging 2.65 kills per set. Vought paces the team with 117 assists averaging 4.50 sets per set. Akron has a pair of players who lead the team on blocks in Ochaya (17) Young (15).

SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE
Cleveland State stands 1-5 overall after going 1-2 last weekend at the Lehigh Invitational. The Vikings took down Lehigh, 3-2, while suffering a 3-1 loss to Rider and a 3-0 loss to Buffalo.

The Viking duo of Madison Olinger and Laken Voss was named to the Lehigh Invite All-Tournament Team, becoming the second and third Vikings to earn a spot on an all-tournament team this season. Olinger averaged 1.70 kills per set on a .483 hitting percentage on the weekend, while also posting a team-best nine total blocks. Voss averaged 2.30 kills and 1.90 digs per set, including 15 kills against Lehigh.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Cleveland State has been one of the better blocking teams in the Horizon League, averaging 2.04 blocks per set. So far this year, the Vikings have combined for 10.0+ total blocks in three matches - Xavier (15.0), UAB (11.0) and Rider (10.0). Individually, Madison Olinger leads the Vikings with 19 blocks on the year, while Madalynn Butler has posted 16 and Ainslie McLaughlin has notched 15.

SCOUTING VALPO
Valpo stands 6-0 overall after going 3-0 last weekend at the Popcorn Classic. Valpo took down SIUE (3-1), Campbell (3-2), and Northern Illinois (3-1).

It was a career night for senior outside Gretchen Kucckan as Valpo clinched the Popcorn Classic title last Saturday with its win over Northern Illinois. Kuckkan delivered 25 kills and did so at an efficiency seldom seen from an outside hitter. She hit at a .489 clip, committing just two attack errors on 47 swings. Kuckkan's 25 kills are tied for fourth-most in a four-set match by a Valpo player since the move to 25-point rally scoring, while she is one of just five Valpo players to tally 25 or more kills in any length match under 25-point scoring. Defensively, she notched 15 digs.

The Zips hold a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, but all eight of the matchups occurred between 1987 and 1992. Seven of those eight showdowns came when both programs were in the North Star Conference.

SCOUTING MORGAN STATE
The Lady Bears enter the weekend at 0-7 on the season. Morgan State, which posted a 5-24 record a season ago, was picked to finish in seventh place in the MEAC this season. Morgan state went 0-4 last weekend in the Towson Invitational suffering losses against Princeton (3-0), Radford (3-1), Rutgers (3-0), and Towson (3-0).

Makila Billingskey leads the bears with 53 kills, averaging 2.41 kills per set, Jourdan Page has 38 kills averaging 2.31 kills per set. Alyssa Sampson leads the team serving with 24 aces. The Bears have two players with double-figure blocks inJadyn Perkins (12 blocks) and Justyus Jackson (11 blocks)

ABOUT ZIPS ATHLETICS
Founded in 1870, The University of Akron (UA) is one of Ohio's most influential public urban research universities, conducting high-quality research in focused areas of excellence, contributing to the vitality of the local economy, and providing a workforce highly trained in diverse disciplines. The University offers more than 200 degree programs, including unique, highly ranked associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and law degrees — with accreditations by 35 professional agencies. UA is focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, investment in the community, and economic growth. Akron sponsors 17 NCAA Division I sports with more than 500 student-athletes. Learn more at gozips.com.

Be sure to follow Akron volleyball on Twitter (@ZipsVB) and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Avery Brown

Matalasi Danielson

Faith Johnson

Karleighana Jones

Teagan Ochaya

Samantha Sabra

Mia Thompson

Chloe Werner

The University of Akron Athletics