George Washington University Athletics
GW Volleyball to Host GW Invitational This Weekend
9/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
| George Washington Invitational - Washington, D.C. | |
| Date | September 16-17 |
| Location | Charles E. Smith Center | Washington, D.C. |
| GW vs. James Madison Friday, 6:30 p.m. | Tickets | | RaiseHigh Live |
| GW at Northern Illinois Saturday, 1:00 p.m. ET | Tickets | | RaiseHigh Live |
| GW vs. Tennessee Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET | Tickets | | RaiseHigh Live |
| Additional Information | GW Invitational Tournament Central 2016 Season Outlook Get To Know: GW Volleyball's Five Freshmen 2016 Quick Facts & Prospectus2016 Schedule |
LEADING OFF: The George Washington volleyball team will take to the floor at the Charles E. Smith Center for the first time in 2016 when it hosts the annual George Washington Invitational, this Friday and Saturday. The Colonials will face James Madison in their home opener on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. before a Saturday doubleheader against Northern Illinois (1:00 p.m.) and Tennessee (7:30 p.m.).
A full weekend schedule can be found at Tournament Central.
LAST TIME OUT: GW is coming off of a 2-1 weekend at the Cougar Challenge at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. The Colonials earned a pair of 3-0 wins over Idaho and UMES, but fell in straight sets to the host Cougars.
COACH AULT'S TAKE: "I think that last weekend was really good for us. It was tough because there was a lot of travel involved but I was glad to see that it did not negatively affect us at all. We went in and focused on the opposition. We saw some good things and a had a good progression over the weekend.
I know the team is extremely excited about having our first home matches of the season this weekend. It is a big stretch for us with our last weekend before conference matches start. We want to clean up some things and focus on continuing to improve in what we are doing on both sides of the net."
HOME SWEET HOME: GW finished 10-4 in matches at the Charles E. Smith Center last season and boasts a 48-17 (.738) record on its home floor across five seasons under head coach Amanda Ault.
The Colonials have won the last six matches played as part of the GW Invitational with wins against Princeton, UC Davis and Radford last season. The Colonials also swept the tournament in 2014, beating Arkansas State, Auburn and North Dakota.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES: GW has garnered a total of four All-Tournament selections by three different players through the first three non-conference tournaments of the season.
Seniors Chidima Osuchukwu and Emily Clemens were each named to the Cougar Challenge All-Tournament Team last weekend after standout performances. Osuchukwu totaled 29 kills on a .315 attack percentage and added seven total blocks in the three matches while Clemens finished with 97 assists (10.8/set), 15 digs and two aces.
Osuchukwu, along with freshman Skylar Iott, were named to the Seton Hall Classic All-Tournament Team.
BALANCED ATTACK: Osuchukwu and Iott share the team lead with 104 kills apiece, while senior Loren Williams has contributed 84 winners. The trio has combined to account for 70-percent of GW's total kills through the first 10 matches of the season.
THE OPPONENTS: James Madison enters the weekend with a 7-2 overall record following a 1-2 weekend at the Fairfield Invitational. The Dukes lost consecutive matches to Villanova and Fairfield before concluding the weekend with a win over Sacred Heart. GW leads the all-time series against James Madison, 17-2.
Northern Illinois is 5-4 on the season but most recently lost all three matches it played at the Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge in Honolulu, Hawaii. GW has lost both previous meetings against the Huskies.
Tennessee is coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Western Michigan Tournament with wins against the host Broncos and Milwaukee and a loss to Xavier. The Volunteers are 7-2 overall on the season and hold a 5-2 advantage in the all-time series with GW.
