File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. - A T-shirt giveaway and postgame autograph session will help highlight the University of Delaware volleyball team's first Colonial Athletic Association home match of the season on Friday when the team faces William & Mary at 7 p.m.

Prior to the contest, complimentary white volleyball shirts courtesy of the National 5 & 10 will be handed out to the first 250 fans so they can join in the festivities and help support the team. Following the match, fans are also encouraged to stick around and meet the team during a postgame autograph session.

The Blue Hens enter the contest riding a three-match winning streak. The last two victories came in the team’s first conference bouts of the season against Georgia State and UNC Wilmington last weekend.

William & Mary, who has won nine straight contests, sports an 11-3 record this year. Of the team’s three losses, two have come against squads ranked in the top-25, including No. 3 Stanford.

The contest also serves as a match-up between two of the three preseason favorites in the conference. Delaware was picked as the favorite to reclaim its CAA title in the preseason coaches’ poll, while William & Mary was ranked third in the vote.

The Blue Hens will be led into action by junior libero Steph Barry, who earned All-American honors last year. She currently ranks first in the conference and 10th in the nation in digs-per-set with a 5.46 average.

Sophomore Katie Dennehy has also started the season strong, ranking seventh in the conference with a 2.91 kills-per-set mark. Fellow second-year standout Greta Gibboney has had a strong year as well, ranking sixth in the CAA with 16 aces.

After Friday's contest, the Hens will continue conference action on Saturday when the team hosts Virginia Commonwealth at 7 p.m.