BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- LIU Brooklyn Volleyball will begin a three-match homestand on Friday, September 29 with the first of two cross-borough contests against St. Francis Brooklyn. First serve for the Blackbirds and the Terriers is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

LAST TIME OUT
LIU played its first two Northeast Conference (NEC) matchups last weekend, splitting a pair of five-setters on the road. The Blackbirds took their league opener on against Central Connecticut on September 22 before losing a close match to Bryant the next night on September 23. Leading the team statistically are junior Viktoria Fink (145 kills, 3.09/set), sophomore Amanda Hubbard (304 assists, 6.33/set), redshirt sophomore Julia Azevedo (45.0 total blocks, 0.82/set), and sophomore Natalia Rivera (311 digs, 5.27/set).

SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
St. Francis Brooklyn enters the match with a 6-11 record and a 0-2 mark in NEC play after losing to Bryant and Central Connecticut last weekend. LIU holds a 37-9 edge in the all-time series with the Terriers and has won 25 consecutive matches against their neighborhood rivals. SFBK is paced by senior Aleksandra Gligoric (230 kills, 3.97/set), junior Gabriella Nobrega (294 assists, 5.07/set), freshman Angie Speweik (199 digs, 3.62/set), and sophomore Taris Pittman (56.0 total blocks, 0.95/set).

RACKING UP AWARDS
Fink earned her second Player of the Week honor this season on Monday by leading the Blackbirds to last weekend's NEC opening split. The native of Vienna, Austria averaged 3.90 kills and 2.80 digs per set with two double-doubles against CCSU and Bryant. The honor was the fifth from the NEC this season, with sophomore libero Natalia Rivera's three Defensive Player of the Week honors adding to Fink's haul.

NEXT UP
LIU will wrap up its three-match home slate next week with contests against Robert Morris on Friday, October 6 at 6 p.m. and versus Saint Francis U. on Saturday, October 7 at 4 p.m.