Utica, NY (9/27/13)- The Utica College volleyball team travels to nearby SUNYIT for the Wildcat Classic this weekend.  UC will play four matches over the weekend, including Cazenovia on Friday at 4 p.m. and SUNY Canton at 8 p.m.  On Saturday, the Pioneers play D'Youville College at 10 a.m. followed by York College at 2 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Utica dropped a thrilling game against Nazareth College on Wednesday… Despite the 3-0 final score, the Pioneers put up a fight in each set, falling 25-20, 28-26, and 25-16...  In the second set, Utica held a 25-24 lead and needed just one point to take the set and even the match, however the Golden Flyers were able to come back and score the winner… Freshman Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro)  had a game-high 12 kills on the evening, while junior Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) led all players with 14 digs… Sophomore Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) had a team-high 20 assists and also added six digs. 

LEADING THE WAY: Freshman Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) leads the team with 117 kills and 40 blocks, she's also added 12 digs and seven service aces… Junior Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) has a team-high 177 digs to go along with ten aces and six kills… Sophomore Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) has racked up 227 assists and 31 service aces on the season.

HELPING OUT: Junior Cassandra Manzer (Portcrane, NY/Chenango Valley) is second on the squad with 88 kills and is third in blocks (21)… Sophomore Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) is second in blocks (34) and third in kills (77)… Sophomore Alexis Lyon (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) is second on the team with 73 digs, while Carly Lonczak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) is second in assists (81).

SCOUTING CAZ: The Wildcats are 3-13 overall (0-3 NEAC) and coming off a 3-1 loss to Morrisville on Tuesday… Cazenovia is led by junior Shaylia Thomas and sophomore Samantha McCarthy… Thomas has 86 kills, while McCarthy has 108 digs… Earlier this season, the Pioneers defeated Caz 3-0… Enny had 11 digs, Allen had 17 assists, and Blaszak record eight kills.

SCOUTING CANTON: The Kangaroos are 11-1 and coming off two wins at the Castleton State Invitational last weekend… They are led by Morgan Bills and Robyn Carroll… Bills has a team-high 95 kills and 24 blocks, while Carroll has 28 service aces and 142 digs… Last year the Pioneers fell 3-0 to Canton… Enny had seven digs, while Cassandra Manzer (Portcrane, NY/Chenango Valley) had six kills and three blocks.

SCOUTING D'YOUVILLE: The Trojans are 6-7 on the season and coming off a 3-1 win over Alfred on Wednesday… They are led by Emily Milbrand and Lara Svensson… Milbrand's 89 kills and 22 blocks lead the squad, wile Svensson has a team-best 145 digs… This is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. 

SCOUTING YORK: The Cardinals are 2-8 and coming off a 3-0 win over Maritime College on Thursday… Carlean McCrimmon has 89 kills and 19 blocks, while Allison Li has 85 digs… This is also the first meeting between the two teams. 

LOOKING AHEAD: Utica will host SUNY Cobleskill on Tuesday, Oct. 8 for its annual Dig Pink Game… The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.


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