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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech volleyball team is set to host a pair of weekend matches as the Hokies welcome Pittsburgh to Cassell Coliseum for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 31. Tech will follow that with hosting No. 21 Duke on Sunday at 1 p.m.

THE HOKIES (9-13, 2-7 ACC)
Virginia Tech split last weekend, defeating Notre Dame 3-0 on Friday before falling to Clemson 3-2 on Sunday. Lindsey Owens led a trio of attackers in double-digit kills against the Tigers, tallying 23. Kathryn Caine added 18 and Amanda McKinzie tallied 16 in the hard-fought, five-set battle.

Owens leads Tech on the season with 3.37 kills per set. Caine is posting 2.44 and McKinzie is knocking down 1.97 kps. Running the offense are Jordan Fish and Kyra Coundourides, putting up 6.37 and 4.60 assists per set, respectively.

On the defensive side, Megan Beckwith leads the backcourt with 3.38 digs per set. Beckwith has upped her numbers in ACC play, averaging 3.65 dps to rank ninth in the league. Ashley Battle has been strong at the net all year, averaging 1.12 blocks per set with 96 total on the season.

THE PANTHERS (18-3, 6-2 ACC)
Pittsburgh is coming off a 3-1 win over Louisville last weekend. Kate Yeazel led the Panthers with 17 kills and Maria Genitsaridi added 13.

Jessica Wynn leads Pitt, averaging 3.39 kps. Genitsaridi is posting 2.64 kps and Yeazel is tallying 2.52 kps. The Panthers split time in the setter spot with Lindsey Zitzke putting up 6.71 aps and Jenna Jacobson notching 5.36.

Defensively, Delaney Clesen is picking up 4.64 dps to lead Pitt and rank second in the ACC. At the net, Jenna Potts is blocking 1.41 attacks per set, ranking fourth in the league.

THE #21 BLUE DEVILS (16-4, 8-1 ACC)
Duke defeated Clemson 3-0 the last time out. Jeme Obeime tallied 15 kills in the win while Emily Sklar added 12. Duke’s lone conference loss was 3-0 to No. 11 North Carolina.

Sklar leads the Blue Devils and ranks fourth in the ACC with 4.02 kps. Obeime is adding 3.44 and Jordan Tucker is knocking down 2.51 kps. Kelsey Williams is putting up an ACC-high 11.65 assists per set for Duke.

Duke’s Sasha Karelov also leads the ACC, averaging 5.48 dps for the defense. Alyse Whitaker is notching 1.04 bps.

ALL-TIME vs. THE OPPONENTS
Pitt holds the 3-2 lead in the all-time series between the two teams and picked up the 3-1 win last season in Blacksburg. Caine is the top returner for the Hokies from the match with 10 kills while Genitsaridi recorded 13 for the Panthers.

The Blue Devils lead the series 25-3, but the Hokies claimed the 3-1 win the last time the two teams met in Blacksburg. Caine knocked down 16 kills to lead Tech to the win. Sklar tallied 14 to lead the Blue Devils.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS: Friday - Trick-or-Treat stations located around the Cassell concourse, assorted Halloween activities and costume contest at the break.

Sunday – Families and youth invited to the match with a special giveaway for all kids 12 and under. Local campus and community ministries also invited to the match.

UP NEXT: The Hokies are back on the road, traveling to North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 9 for a 2 p.m. match.

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_VBall