CONWAY, S.C. – The Chanticleer women's volleyball team looks to improve on their 1-1 start to the 2021 regular season as they travel to compete in the Ole Miss Invitational at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center in Oxford, Miss.
 
The Chanticleers will play three matches this weekend, Sept. 3-4. Starting on Friday at 11 a.m. ET Coastal will face Northwestern State University, followed by a showdown later that night with the weekend host Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Chanticleers' and Rebels' match will be shown on the SEC+ app. Finally, CCU will wrap up the weekend on Saturday versus UTSA at noon ET.
 
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
vs. Northwestern State | Friday, Sept. 3, 11 a.m. ET
at Ole Miss | Friday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC+)
vs. UTSA | Saturday, Sept. 4, Noon ET
 
LAST TIME OUT

• In two matches last weekend, the Chanticleers went 1-1 during the Coastal Carolina Invitational versus Power Five schools, Duke and Iowa. Coastal Carolina opened the weekend with a five-set loss to Duke, 2-3 (25-17, 23-23, 21-25, 17-25, 9-15). It was the second time in three years that Coastal opened the season with a loss in five sets and it was the eighth time in its 46-year history. Super senior Ani Bozdeva led the CCU attack, matching a career-high 20 kills. The next night, CCU defeated Iowa, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-20) with the help of 15 blocks, led by sophomore Nyla Shepherd's seven block assists. That mark was the most CCU had in a match since it played Iowa in the Hawkeye Invitational in September 2019. It was the second straight time in three seasons that Chanticleers defeated Iowa. Head coach Jozsef Forman's improved his all-time mark versus the Hawkeyes at 2-5.

 
CCU DIGS PERUGINI

• Junior Lina Perugini ranks 13th in the nation at 5.75 digs per set. She matched her career-high with 27 versus Duke on Aug. 27.

 
1000-KILL WATCH

• Four CCU players, Ella Saada, Doris Carter, Ani Bozdeva, and Cheyenne Jones, are on the verge of 1000 kills in their illustrious careers.
• Saada, a graduate transfer from Syracuse, comes into this weekend with 913 career kills after a 14-kill performance versus Iowa on Aug. 28.
• Carter, a graduate transfer from Alabama, had six kills in her Chanticleer debut versus Iowa last Saturday, pushing her career total to 891.
• Bozdeva has spent three of her four seasons playing for the Chanticleers, where she has amassed 840 putaways. The Razlog, Bulgaria native, matched her career-high with 20 kills versus Duke on Aug. 27.
• Jones, the Missoula, Mont., native, transferred from UTEP this season, where the outside hitter had 774 career kills. With her 15 kills versus Duke on Aug. 27, she has now totaled 789 in her career.

 
PETRENKO CONTINUES TO MOVE UP IN THE RECORD BOOK

• Junior setter Brigitta Petrenko starts the season off ninth all-time in school history with 1829 career assists. However, she currently is 171 assists shy of the 2000 career mark and 238 shy of 2014 graduate Sam Skyrd's 2067 tally for eighth all-time.

SERIES HISTORY – NORTHWESTERN STATE

• Friday's match with the Lady Demons will be the first contest between the two schools.

 
SERIES HISTORY – OLE MISS

• Friday's match with the Rebels will be the first contest between the two schools.

 
SERIES HISTORY – UTSA

• The Chanticleers and Roadrunners met once in their respective school histories. On August 28, 2017 at the TCU Cowtown Classic, CCU outlasted UTSA in five sets, 3-2 (25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 17-25, 15-13). Coastal was led by an outstanding effort from Leah Hardeman, who paced the Chants with a 23 kill, 15 dig double-double performance.

 
A GLIMPSE AT NORTHWESTERN STATE

• The Lady Demons are 1-3 on the season, with their lone win coming versus Alabama A&M during the Tulane Invitational.
• On Tuesday night, Northwestern State fell in straight sets to ULM.
• Kate Idrogo led the team with eight kills in 14 attempts while hitting .500 in the match.
• Symone Wesley leads the NSU after four matches with 38 kills.
• Junior Haley Hoang was voted 2021 Preseason All-Southland Team.
• Hoang leads the Lady Demons with 63 digs on the season.

 
A GLIMPSE AT OLE MISS

• This weekend, the Rebels enter with a 2-0 record, with victories coming in straight sets versus Troy and UAB during the Troy Preseason Tournament.
• GG Carvacho leads the team with 17 kills, while Anna Bair and Payton Brgoch follow behind with 16.
• Defensively, Sasha Ratfliff leads Ole Miss with 11 total blocks, averaging 1.83 blocks per sets.
• Setter Kylee McLaughlin leads the team with 64 assists. The next closest player on the team is Riley Fischer with three.

 
A GLIMPSE AT UTSA

• The Roadrunners have gotten off to a 0-2 start to 2021 with losses to two top-20 teams, No. 20 San Diego and No. 1 Texas.
• UTSA lost to San Diego on Aug. 28 in four sets but stunned the Torreros, defeating them 25-11 in set one. San Diego would go on to win the final three sets with ease, 25-19, 25-13, 25-15. In the match, Hannah Lopez led UTSA with 11 kills. Courtney Walters and Mekaila Aupiu had a double-digit assist match with 20 and 16, respectively.
• Along with Lopez, Hunter Coppola leads the team with 14 kills, and Walters leads with 31 assists.

 
For complete coverage of CCU volleyball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalVball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.