BUIES CREEK, N.C.-Beginning with the Blue Hose of Presbyterian, Campbell volleyball will play the first of four consecutive home matches on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in Carter Gym.

The Fighting Camels will try to capitalize on the home stretch, having won four of its eight matches in Buies Creek.

"It is nice to be at home and play in front of our crowd," said CU Head Coach Malinda Ashcraft. "It means a lot to us as a program to play in front of supporters, students and fans. Being at home helps tremendously. The rigors of traveling, especially with a young team, can be challenging, so I think being at home in front of the crowd gives you the capacity to breathe deeper and be more comfortable."

The Fighting Camels look to avenge a Sep. 7 loss to PC, coming at the UNC Wilmington Battle at the Beach Tournament.

The Blue Hose edged Campbell in that match, 3-2 (30-19; 22-30; 30-19; 27-30; 15-9), as PC senior Lauren Mason posted a 30-kill game with 15 digs while junior Justine Lanchester totaled 19 kills on the night. Freshman libero Elizabeth Heineman also collected a game high 22 digs.

Leading the way for the Camels, freshman Taylor Deering posted a double-double with 14 kills and ten digs in the match. Junior Femi Alabi also notched a 14-kill night, adding three block solos and three block assists. Defensive standout Melissa Harvey reached double digits in digs, totaling 12 while sophomore Sarah Hill added nine.

Currently standing at 15-11 on the year, Mason still leads the Blue Hose with 4.75 kills per game, while also averaging 3.13 digs. Lanchester, second in kills on the squad, averages 2.55 kills and 0.57 service aces per game.

Coming off a positive weekend against East Tennessee State and a win over North Carolina Central, Campbell hopes to carry some momentum into Carter Gym.

Although the Fighting Camels dropped the ETSU match in four (30-27; 23-30; 30-27; 30-15), outside hitter Emily Werner showed her best performance in nearly a month. The freshman knocked a career high 17 kills and hit .353 in the loss, also collecting four block assists, two service aces and a single dig.

"I felt like we went out on Saturday and really attacked the match in a more positive way than we have been," noted Ashcraft. "ETSU is a great team that hits the ball a lot. We wanted to be more physical and I think we came out of the gate better we have in the last couple of weeks. I felt like the girls came out with more initiative, drive and more push in the beginning. No doubt, Emily had a much better weekend than she's had, she had a great game. We've been waiting to see that, and I think she will definitely continue to grow."

The Fighting Camels also saw blocking numbers up in the match as well, topping the Buccaneers 17-4 in that category, as junior middle blocker Femi Alabi blocked six ETSU attacks on three solos and six assists. Alabi, one of the most consistent Camels on offense, reached double figure kills as well with 11, hitting .409 in the loss.

"I felt like they played with more confidence than they have in a while and those were great things to see from them," said Ashcraft. "I think it's just a matter of pushing that momentum forward as this young team matures and we have to continue to help them develop and raise their play. It was nice to see some of the beginnings of that against a good opponent like ETSU. We are way too early in the progress of this team to think about slowing down. We want to make a good sprint to the end and finish strong."

Following play with Presbyterian, Campbell will host three more home contests, including a match with A-Sun foe USC Upstate next Saturday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. The Fighting Camels will resume play the following weekend, taking on Lipscomb on Friday, Oct. 2, followed by Belmont on Saturday.