Camels Hosts Pair of Atlantic Sun Matches This Weekend

BUIES CREEK, N.C.-Malinda Ashcraft and the Campbell Fighting Camel volleyball team welcomes Belmont and Lipscomb to Carter Gym this weekend for a pair of Atlantic Sun matches.
The Camels (8-11, 1-1 A-Sun) take on Belmont (13-9, 2-0) on Friday at 7:00 pm and then turn around and host the Bisons (6-13, 2-0) on Saturday evening at 5:00 pm.
"We have had a great week of practice and we are excited and ready to play this weekend," Ashcraft said. "Belmont and Lipscomb are both great teams and we are going to have to play mistake free volleyball to win. I am glad that these matches are at home because we have a great group of fans that really support us and give us a true home court advantage."
Campbell will look to its defense to help carry them through the weekend. The Camels lead the Atlantic Sun with 2.43 blocks per game and are third in the league holding opponents to just a .181 hitting percentage. Rachel Templin is the Fighting Camels force at the net leading the A-Sun with 1.31 blocks per game while Brittany Rusin is close behind with 0.90 per game. Campbell has recorded at least 10 blocks in three-of-four matches and fell just a half block short in the fourth match.
The Camels offense is led by junior outside hitter Tabitha Turner. The Greensboro, N.C. native is fourth in the conference with 3.42 kills per game and ranks fifth in points with 3.86 per game. Alissa Brackeen has turned into a silent weapon for Campbell averaging 2.51 kills per game and the junior from Arlington, Texas checks in at second in the conference with 0.47 service aces per game. Templin has also provided offensive firepower to go along with her outstanding blocking checking in with 2.82 kills per game and ranks fourth in the A-Sun with 3.92 points per game.
Belmont enters the match winners of five of its previous seven matches with its only losses coming at the hands of Alabama and Cornell. The Bruins breezed through their opening A-Sun matches defeating Mercer and Stetson 3-0. The Bruins are led by Lindsay Cleveland's 3.44 and Katie Tobiasz's 2.84 kills per game.
Lipscomb joins Belmont and two other teams at 2-0 in the Atlantic Sun heading into this weekend. The Bisons have won three-straight matches, but have suffered two long losing streaks so far this season. Lipscomb opened the 2005 campaign 0-6 and then after splitting six matches proceeded to drop four in a row. Cara Wilber leads Lipscomb with 3.31 kills per game and Lindsey Rutherford adds 3.06 kills per game.