Morgan State University Athletics

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BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 18, 2014)-The Morgan State volleyball team will close out its regular season tournament slate this weekend when it travels to Lorreto, Pa. to take part in the Red Flash Classic, hosted by Saint Francis-Pa. The Lady Bears open up against the host Red Flash on Friday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m., before taking on local foe, Loyola Maryland on Saturday at 11 a.m., and George Mason at 5 p.m. All matches will be played at Degol Arena.
 
The Lady Bears (5-5), who are coming off a 3-0 weekend, captured the Friar Classic (9/12-13). It was their first regular season tournament title since 2004. Morgan State defeated host Providence in four sets, before sweeping both Quinnipiac and Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
Morgan State was led by Arianna Hayden, who tallied 36 kills, 29 digs, 14 blocks, five service aces and two assists. Hayden would earn MVP honors, which was her third consecutive all-tournament honor this season. Carmen Fernandez also received all-tournament team honors after totaling 111 assists, 24 digs, eight kills, four aces, two blocks and recording two double-doubles.
 
MSU AGAINST THE FIELD: The Morgan State volleyball team will meet host Saint Francis-Pa., for the eighth time with the Lady Bears holding a 5-2 all-time advantage...Local foe Loyola Maryland and Morgan State will be meeting for the 27th time with the series tied at 13-13...George Mason and Morgan State will meet for the just the second time in program history, as the Patriots hold a 1-0 lead.
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will welcome crosstown rival Coppin State to Hill Field House for the MEAC opener next Friday, Sept. 26. First serve will be at 7 p.m. It will also mark the home opener for the Lady Bears.
 
HAYDEN NAMED MEAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Arianna Hayden was named MEAC Co-Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Sept. 15. This was the first MEAC honor of the season for Hayden. Hayden, who is off to her best season yet as a Lady Bear, totaled 36 kills, 29 digs, 14 blocks and five service aces in three matches.
 
TRACKING SMITH: Senior Zuri Smith entered the season ranked 11th all-time at Morgan State with 177 career blocks. A native of Inglewood, Calif., Smith tallied 10 blocks at the Friar Classic (Sept. 12-13), giving her 191 for her career. Smith is four blocks away from passing former Lady Bear, Dorothy Buford (194 blocks from 1997-00) for 10th-place.
 
HAYDEN SETS CAREER-HIGH IN BLOCKS: Arianna Hayden set a career-high six blocks against Providence (9/12), then added another six blocks against Fairleigh Dickinson (9/13) in the finale of the Friar Classic.
 
LADY BEARS CLAIM FRIAR CLASSIC TITLE: The Lady Bears  captured the 2014 Friar Classic (Sept. 12-13) with a perfect 3-0 mark. The Lady Bears lost just one set out of the 10 sets they played, defeating host Providence (3-1), Quinnipiac (3-0) and Fairleigh Dickinson (3-0). It was the first regular season tournament title for Morgan State since winning the same tournament in 2004, which was then called the Providence Invitational.
 
HAYDEN NAMED MVP OF FRIAR CLASSIC: Arianna Hayden was named MVP of the Friar Classic (9/13), after totaling 36 kills, 29 digs, 14 blocks, five service aces and two assists to lead the Lady Bears to a 3-0 week and the tournament title. Hayden began the tournament recording a double-double with a team-high 13 kills to go with a team-high 14 digs and totaled a career– and match-high six blocks, while hitting a weekend-best .417 percentage against host Providence. Hayden then closed out the tournament with a hitting percentage of .400 and finished with a match-high 15 kills, eight digs and six blocks in the finale win against Fairleigh Dickinson. It was the third consecutive tournament team honor this season for Hayden.
 
FERNANDEZ NAMED TO ALL-FRIAR CLASSIC TEAM: Junior setter Carmen Fernandez was named to the Friar Classic All-Tournament Team (9/13). Fernandez recorded two double-doubles over the weekend, while totaling 111 assists, 24 digs, eight kills, four aces and two blocks to help the Lady Bears to a 3-0 weekend and the Friar Classic championship. A native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Fernandez notched her fourth double-double of the season with a match-high 45 assists and 10 digs, along with two kills and two service aces in the finale against Fairleigh Dickinson.

JONES SETS CAREER HIGHS: Dinah Jones hit for a career-high 1.000 hitting percentage, going a perfect 7-for-7 in kills in a sweep of Quinnipiac (9/13) during the Friar Classic. Jones followed up that performance by recording a career-high 10 kills and adding two blocks in another sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
BEST SINCE 1996: Morgan State's 5-5 record through this season's first 10 matches is its best start since the 1996 team held a 7-3 mark at this point. That squad would finish with a 25-9 record and would reach the MEAC championship match.
 
MORGAN REMAINS UNDEFEATED: The Lady Bears improved their record to 4-0 all-time against Providence, following a 3-1 victory in the opener of the Friar Classic (9/12). Entering this season, Providence was the only team on the schedule the Lady Bears had yet to drop a match against.