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Game Notes: Volleyball set to host Reinhardt in home opener
By Matt Green
Lady Hawks (4-0) vs. Reinhardt (2-3)
Thursday, Sept. 1 • 7 pm • Winthrop-King
Centre
ROME -- Following its perfect run through the Milligan Mountain Madness Invitational to open the 2011 season, the Shorter volleyball squad returns to the Winthrop-King Centre for its home opener on Thursday, Sept. 1 against Reinhardt University at 7 pm. The Lady Hawks are looking to win five straight matches to open a season for the first time in school history -- Shorter won its first four matches of the 2010 season before falling to top-ranked Lee on the road. Reinhardt enters Thursday night's contest with a 2-3 overall record after a loss to Brenau on Tuesday.
ALL-TIME
SERIES
Shorter leads the all-time series with Reinhardt 18-1 and has won
the last eight meetings between the schools. Shorter's only loss to
the Lady Eagles came on Oct. 16, 2007 in Waleska.
MVP!
Senior Jessica Cooper is on fire to start the 2011 season. The
Grant, Ala., native took home Most Valuable Player honors at the
Milligan Mountain Madness Invitational after racking up 40 kills
against just six errors in four matches. Her hitting percentage of
.442 leads the Lady Hawks and ranks ninth in the country. Cooper's
prowess wasn't limited to offense as she recorded a team-high 14
blocks to spearhead Shorter's defense.
WELCOME TO THE
SHOW
Shorter received tremendous performances in Milligan College,
Tenn., from a wealth of players, but two freshmen -- Tori Bradley
and Jasmine Crook -- stole the show. Bradley finished the weekend
with 38 kills and posted a team-high 15 kills in Shorter's upset
win over Freed-Hardeman. Crook, who redshirted during the 2010
season, gave Lady Hawk fans what they had been waiting for,
exploding for 47 kills in four matches while hitting .323. Crook
picked up All-Tournament honors for her efforts.
BACK IN THE
GROOVE
After flirting with the possibility of playing Jordan Corder at
libero, Shorter head coach Jon Moseley decided to keep his two-time
SSAC Setter of the Year in her comfort zone, a move that paid
dividends at Milligan. Despite sitting out Shorter's opener, Corder
recorded 113 assists in three matches, churning out a ridiculous
11.3 assists per game. The junior, who already ranks second on
Shorter's all-time assists list, also registered 16 digs.
DIGGIN' IT
Shorter has arguably two of the best defensive players in the SSAC
in juniors Loren Olive and Tanequa Whitman. Olive, a two-time
All-SSAC selection that became the first player in school history
to reach 500 kills, 500 digs, 100 aces and 100 digs over the
weekend, posted 39 digs in Shorter's four wins. Whitman, a transfer
defensive specialist, led the way with 45 digs in her first action
with the Lady Hawks.
