Women's Volleyball | Oct 12 | Volleyball To Visit Sacred Heart & Fairleigh Dickinson BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- Northeast Conference play continues this weekend for the LIU Brooklyn volleyball team as the Blackbirds embark on the first half of their season-long four-match NEC road trip. LIU is slated to take on Sacred Heart on Friday, October 13 at 5 p.m. and Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, October 14 at 4 p.m. LAST TIME OUT LIU extended its current winning streak to three matches last weekend with a pair of home victories over Robert Morris (3-2) and Saint Francis U. (3-0). The wins moved the Blackbirds into second place in the league as the halfway point of conference play draws near. BLACKBIRD OUTLOOK The Blackbirds have been strong through the first part of the NEC schedule. As a team, LIU is in the top half of most league categories, including assists (2nd; 11.64/set), service aces (3rd; 1.44/set), hitting percentage (3rd; .187), opponent hitting percentage (3rd; .184), and digs (4th; 16.54/set). Individually, the Blackbirds are led by Viktoria Fink (3.33 kills/set; 5th in NEC), Amanda Hubbard (6.58 assists/set; 5th in NEC), Natalia Rivera (5.16 digs/set; 2nd in NEC), and Filippa Hansson (.284 hitting percentage; 5th in NEC). SCOUTING SACRED HEART AND FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON SHU comes into Friday's match with a 7-11 record and a 1-4 mark in the NEC after losing its last four matches to league competition. LIU holds a 30-5 edge over the Pioneers all-time, defeating SHU in last year's NEC Championship, 3-2. Liisel Nelis (3.52 kills/set), Kiki Robinson (9.99 assists/set), and Madi Pope (3.65 digs/set) lead the way for the Pioneers this season. FDU brings a 3-16 (0-5 NEC) record into this weekend and will face St. Francis Brooklyn on Friday before meeting LIU. All-time, the Blackbirds have maintained a 28-13 advantage over the FDU and swept the Knights in two matches last season. The top producers for Fairleigh Dickinson are Magdalena Maksimovic (2.46 kills/set), McKenna Setterlund (7.70 assists/set), Carly O'Sullivan (4.14 digs/set), and Taylor Wyckoff (1.00 blocks/set). ANOTHER ONE (OR TWO) For the second time this season, Fink and Rivera were awarded with Molten/Northeast Conference (NEC) weekly honors in the same week. Fink was named Co-Player of the Week, her third top honor this year, and Rivera was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth time. Rivera ended the weekend by contributing 5.50 digs per set in two LIU Brooklyn victories at home. She posted match-highs in digs in both wins with 26 in a five-set triumph over Robert Morris on Friday along with 18 the next day against Saint Francis U. Rivera remains second in the conference with 5.16 digs per set. Fink averaged 4.38 kills and 2.62 digs per set to help boost the Blackbirds to two NEC wins over the weekend. The Vienna, Austria native recorded her sixth double-double on the year with 20 kills and 14 digs in a five-set win over Robert Morris on Friday, then added another 15 kills and seven digs as LIU swept Saint Francis U the following afternoon to improve to 4-1 this fall against league competitors. Fink is currently fifth in the NEC with 3.33 kills per set. NATIONWIDE ACCLAIM Nationally, the best season stats for the Blackbirds are on the defensive end. LIU currently ranks 45th in the nation in digs per set an Rivera is 29th overall in total digs (361). Players Mentioned Bio Viktoria Fink #17 OH 5' 10" Jr. Bio Filippa Hansson #16 MB 6' 2" So. Bio Amanda Hubbard #27 S 5' 10" So. Bio Natalia Rivera #4 L 5' 4" So.