Pirates Open 2024 Season with FAU Invitational - Seton Hall University Athletics
Seton Hall officially opens the 2024 regular season this weekend at the Florida Atlantic Invitational. The Pirates will open the new campaign against Ball St...
The Hall will face Ball State, host FAU, and Bryant starting Friday in Boca Raton, Fla.
AUGUST 30-31, 2024
FLORIDA ATLANTIC INVITATIONAL
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA – BALDWIN ARENA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024 at 10:00 AM
SETON HALL (0-0) vs. BALL STATE (0-0)
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports
FOLLOW ALONG: StatBroadcast | Instagram | X (Twitter)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024 at 7:00 PM
SETON HALL (0-0) at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (0-0)
LIVE VIDEO: FAUsports.com
FOLLOW ALONG: StatBroadcast | Instagram | X (Twitter)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2024 at 11:00 AM
SETON HALL (0-0) vs. BRYANT (0-0)
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports
FOLLOW ALONG: StatBroadcast | Instagram | X (Twitter)
WEEKLY STATS REPORT: SETON HALL
2024 BIG EAST STANDINGS
BIG EAST STATISTICAL LEADERS
PREVIEW
Seton Hall officially opens the 2024 regular season this weekend at the Florida Atlantic Invitational. The Pirates will open the new campaign against Ball State (10:00 a.m. ET) and host FAU (7:00 p.m.) on Friday, Aug. 30. The Hall will conclude the event with a match against Bryant on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
MEDIA
Seton Hall's contests against Ball State and Bryant will be available to watch for FloSports subscribers. The Hall's contest against host Florida Atlantic will be broadcast on FAUsports.com. All three matches will have Live Stats available.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Seton Hall and Ball State will meet for the first time on Friday.
The Cardinals are coming off a 17-15 season in 2023, which included an impressive 13-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Ball State was upset in five sets in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament, but qualified for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. In the NIVC, the Cardinals defeated Middle Tennessee State in four sets before ending their season with a five-set loss to Clemson.
This season, Ball State was picked to finish third in the 12-team MAC according to the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll. Representing the Cardinals on the Preseason All-MAC Team were senior setter Megan Wielonski and redshirt sophomore outside Aniya Kennedy. Weilonski was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2021 and MAC Setter of the Year in 2022.
SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
The Pirates will also face Florida Atlantic University for the first time in program history on Friday.
The Owls are coming off a 20-13 record in 2023 which included a 12-7 mark in the American Athletic Conference. Although FAU didn't qualify for the AAC Tournament, they participated in the NIVC, falling in the opening round to UT Arlington.
Florida Atlantic was picked to finish fifth in the 13-team AAC in 2024, according to its preseason coaches' poll. Senior outside hitter Valeria Rosado was a unanimous selection to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Team. Katelynn Robine is back for 2024 as the team's leader in kills per set, 2.35, among returnees.
SCOUTING BRYANT
Bryant makes three straight opponents to open the season that the Pirates have never faced in program history.
Bryant is coming off a stellar 2023 season with a final record of 19-12. Down the stretch of the season, the Bulldogs went 7-2 and finished with the No. 4 seed. Their season came to an end, however, when they lost to the eventual America East champion UMBC Retrievers in the conference semifinals.
Bryant was picked to finish fourth this season, according to the six-team AEC preseason coaches' poll. Senior outside hitter Aubrey LaPour was selected to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team. LaPour is coming off a phenomenal junior campaign in 2023 which saw her lead the Black and Gold with 387 kills (2nd best in conference) and earn First Team All-America East honors.
UP NEXT
After the Florida Atlantic Invitational, the Pirates will make their 2024 Walsh Gym debut when they host the Seton Hall Classic, Sept. 6-8. The Hall will host Sacred Heart on Friday, Sept. 6 at 3:00 p.m. The Pirates will face NJIT on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 3:00 p.m., and wrap up the weekend against Kent State on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 11:00 a.m.
