Winners of six straight, with four conference wins sitting in the middle of the streak, the Clarkson University Volleyball team looks to solidify its place as the top team in the Liberty League this weekend when it takes on four conference foes down state at Bard and Vassar.
The Golden Knights will take on Skidmore College at 6:00 pm on Friday, their first meeting against the Thoroughbreds in 2013, and then Vassar at 8:00 pm. On Saturday, Clarkson will face Union College at 12:00 noon and Bard College at 2:00 pm.
The Green and Gold have yet to lose a set in four conference matches, but will be challenged this weekend. Skidmore, just 6-7 overall and 0-1 in league play this year, was undefeated in regular-season conference play last season before falling to the Knights in the Liberty League Championship game. Skidmore owns a 29-11 overall mark against Clarkson, but the Knights have gained ground, percentage-wise, since 2009, going 5-5 in 10 matches. Clarkson swept Vassar in three sets at Alumni Gymnasium last Friday, but the Brewers are always a dangerous squad for the Knights. Clarkson has won all nine matches against Vassar since 2009 and 11 straight overall, but no team plays the Knights tougher consistently than the team from Poughkeepsie.
Clarkson will look to maintain momentum against Union College and Bard College on Saturday. The Dutchwomen are 11-5 overall and 1-0 in league games thus far, but lost three straight last week. Union is 39-23 all-time against Clarkson, but the Knights are 6-1 since 2009 against the Dutchwomen. Bard is 0-6 all-time against Clarkson and lost in three sets earlier this season to the Knights.
Although the league slate has just started, Clarkson is proving to be tough offensively for its opponents. The Knights lead the conference in hitting percentage (league matches only) at .334 while allowing the opposition just a .009 rate. Not surprisingly, the Knights have three of the top five individuals in hitting percentage, led by senior Xiao Liang (Tianjin, China) at .456. Sophomore Aishvina Arasu is striking at a .342 clip and also ranks third in the conference in kills per set (3.64), while junior Adrienne Walker (Centennial, CO) is swinging at a .333 rate. The Knights serving has been equally devastating, as the team is averaging almost four aces per set. Senior Lani Durio (Austin, TX), who also leads the conference with 11.25 assists per set, is at the top of the leaderboard at 1.08 aces per set. Classmate Erika Chin (Katy, TX) is third with 0.78 aces per set, and sophomore Kirstie Shurie (LaCanada, CA) has 0.75 aces per set, good enough for fourth in the league.
