CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel volleyball team departs for the final early-season tournament this weekend, taking part in the Trojan Classic, hosted by Troy. The Bulldogs will have a pair of matches on Friday, Sept. 20, against Southern and Troy and a single match Saturday, Sept. 21, against Florida A&M.
 
#BATTLEREADY (ABOUT THE CITADEL)
The Bulldogs are off to a 2-5 start after traveling for two tournaments and hosting their home opener. The Citadel most recently fell to cross-town rival College of Charleston in three sets.
 
Freshman libero Kenzie Kellerman currently averages 5.04 digs per set, which currently ranks her second in the SoCon.
 
Megan Fuhr ranks fourth in program history in careers assists with 1,779. She has a 189 this season and averages 8.22 assists per set.
 
THE CITADEL VS OPPONENTS (THE HISTORY)
This weekend will feature two new opponents for the Bulldogs. Friday's double-header will be the first time in program history the 'Dogs have faced Southern and Troy. On Saturday, The Citadel will play Florida A&M for the second time, having won the first meeting, 3-1, during the 2018 season.
 
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
The Jaguars of Southern are currently 0-9 on the season, having traveled to three different tournaments prior to this weekend. Southern has fallen to Southern Confernce members UNCG and Mercer, in two different tournaments. While falling in three sets to UNCG, the Jags took the match against Mercer to a full five sets.
 
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
The Trojans of Troy have started off strong in the 2019 season, boasting a 7-2 record. This weekend will be the second tournament Troy has hosted at home. Their top hitter, Cheyenne Hayes, has registered a total of 146 kills in just nine matches, averaging 4.71 per set. She is accompanied by two other Trojans, Halston Hillier and Ashley Guenveur, with 74 and 71 total kills, respectively. The team logs a .231 hitting percentage to their opponents' .179.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS 
The Florida A&M Rattlers are currently 1-9 on the season, with their lone win coming on the first day of the season against Texas Southern. The Rattlers' roster consists of a large freshman class, but look to the upperclassmen to show the way. According to the most updated statistics, the Rattlers are led by Alexis Gosha with 80 total kills and Maria Yvette Garcia with 74, with the team averaging a .116 kill percentage. Their setter Elena Dimitrova averages 5.25 assists per set.

COMING UP
The 'Dogs will travel to North Carolina Central on Tuesday, Sept. 24, before returning to Charleston to begin SoCon play by hosting Mercer on Friday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. That match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
  
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Membership in The Citadel Brigadier Foundation is open to alumni and friends of The Citadel who are interested in supporting Bulldog athletics. By joining, you provide annual charitable contributions that fund scholarships for cadet-student-athletes. Supporters interested in joining TCBF or for more information, please click HERE.
 
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For more information and score updates on The Citadel volleyball team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelVB on Twitter and @CitadelVolleyball on Instagram.