With most of its non-conference matches out of the way, the Fairleigh Dickinson women's volleyball team will focus its attention on NEC competition beginning with a road contest on Saturday, Sept. 24, against Sacred Heart in Fairfield, CT. 

The Knights, currently riding a three-match winning streak, are coming off of a 3-2 win in their home opener over Rider on Wednesday. Meaghan Wheeler (Chatsworth, CA/Chaminade College Prep) picked up her seventh double-double of the 2011 campaign with 16 kills and 14 digs. Kelsey Semler (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) had a team-high 25 digs, and Sarah Willey (Abingdon, MD/Bel Air) also came up big for FDU with 26 assists on the night.

With 228 kills through 11 matches and 18 contests to go before the NEC Championships, Wheeler is on pace to break the school record of 513 kills in a season. 

Prior to the Rider match, the Knights scored matching 3-2 wins over UMBC and NJIT.

The Sacred Heart Pioneers started the season with six wins in their first seven matches but have since gone 3-3 in their last six. In their previous two matches, the Pioneers lost to Ball State, 3-1, then fell to the Michigan State Spartans by a 3-0 final on Saturday, Sept. 17, in East Lansing, MI.

SHU, the 2010 NEC regular season and tournament champion, went 16-0 last season at their home venue, the William H. Pitt Center. This season, the Pioneers are off to a 3-0 home start with three-set wins over Brown, Hartford and Rutgers on their resume. 

So far in 2011, Sacred Heart has been balanced on offense with four players with at least 100 kills. The Pioneers are led by USC transfer Kimmee Roleder's 156 kills and Alisa Mesa and Megan Pulone, who have a combined 509 assists.

FDU had its way with Sacred Heart from 2005 through 2008, going 6-0 over that stretch. However, the Knights have gone 0-4 against the Pioneers in the past two years.

Saturday will be the first of four-straight matches on the road for the Knights. After Sacred Heart, FDU will take on Manhattan in Riverdale, NY on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m.