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HIGH POINT, N.C. – Coming off an historic October, the High Point University volleyball team opens November in Virginia against Liberty on Friday and Radford on Saturday.
 
The Panthers (19-7, 9-1) went 8-1 last month winning their last eight matches to stake a claim on second place in the Big South standings. However, the Flames (12-11) are 7-3 in Big South action and are looking to catch HPU in the season's final weekends. Meanwhile, the Highlanders (11-12, 4-6) are healthy and have started climbing the conference ladder.
 
Last Time Out:
On Halloween, the Purple & White cruised to a 3-set triumph at Gardner-Webb (25-11, 25-13 and 25-13). That win came on the heels of a 3-2 thriller against UNC Asheville on Friday, Oct. 30.
 
Over the weekend, sophomore Camryn Freiberg led HPU by racking up 3.38 kills per set while hitting at a .472 clip. Likewise, freshman Molly Livingston starred with 3.00 kills, 1.00 blocks and 1.75 digs while posting a .537 attack percentage en route to earning Freshman of the Week honors.
 
Scouting the Flames:
Since its last meeting with HPU, Liberty is 3-2 in Big South action with wins over Charleston Southern, Presbyterian and Winthrop and losses to Coastal Carolina and Radford. Last weekend, the Highlanders pulled off a 3-1 upset of the Flames in the Vines Center.
 
Liberty is led by redshirt-seniors Caroline Douglas and Jade Vorster, who will be honored with the rest of the senior class prior to Friday night's contest. Douglas is posting a team-best 3.16 kills per set while hitting .229 as Vorster is second in kills (2.49/set) and first in blocks (1.07/set). In the back row, it's freshman Margaret Latchford who leads the way tallying 4.62 digs per set.
 
Last Time They Met:
Freiberg and fellow sophomore Haley Barnes combined for 31 kills as the Panthers posted a 3-1 win over Liberty in the Millis Center on Oct. 10. Senior Gabi Mirand orchestrated the offense to a .316 attack percentage with 12.50 assists per set while adding five kills.
 
Scouting the Highlanders:
After missing a month of action, sophomore Maddie Palmer returned to Radford's lineup last week in a 3-1 win over Liberty. The preseason all-conference selection is averaging 4.20 kills per set in 15 matches this season. The Highlanders are 8-7 with Palmer and 3-5 in her absence.
 
Redshirt-senior Megan Short is second in the league in attack percentage (.398) and third in kills (3.27/set). Meanwhile, senior Savannah Burton is the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in kills (sixth) and digs (10th). At setter, freshman Ashley Kleespies is pacing the Big South with 10.96 assists per frame.
 
Last Time They Met:
It was the 3-1 win over Radford on Oct. 9 in the Millis Center that kick-started HPU's 8-match winning streak. In that match, senior Annemarie Chin and Barnes combined for 48 digs as the Purple & White held Radford to a .133 attack percentage. Offensively, Freiberg (15 kills) and freshman Abby Broadstreet (12 kills) sparked the attack as Mirand racked up 43 assists.
 
Panther Notes:
• The Panthers are 9-1 in conference play, the best start in the program's time in the Big South.
 
• High Point is riding an 8-match winning streak, which is the longest in head coach Jason Oliver's tenure.
 
• Senior Annemarie Chin is ranked sixth nationally with 5.76 digs per set and is seventh on HPU's Division I single-season digs list with 570 – one behind Wavie Chin's total in 2014.
 
• As a team, the Panthers rank second in the nation with 17.72 digs per set and 21st in opponent hitting percentage (.158).
 
• During league play, freshman Molly Livingston is second in the Big South in hitting percentage (.457), third in blocks (1.13/set) and fourth in points (3.54/set).
 
• The sophomore duo of Haley Barnes (2.95/set) and Camryn Freiberg (2.85/set) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in kills per set in Big South contests.
 
Next Up:
The Purple & White bring the regular season to a close hosting Charleston Southern on Thursday, Nov. 12 before hosting Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 14 for senior day.
 
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