Utica, NY (9/26/14) – The Utica College volleyball team continues its road trip as it travels across town for the SUNY IT Wildcat Classic this weekend. The Wildcat Classic will feature Alfred State, Elmira College, Utica College, and host SUNY IT. SUNY IT will start the action Friday at 5 p.m. against Alfred State; the Pioneers will take on Alfred St. at 7 p.m. Early Saturday morning the Pioneers will take on SUNY IT at 11 a.m. and then at 1 p.m. will face off against Elmira.

WILDCAT CLASSIC: This marks the second year Utica will be competing in the Wildcat Classic... Last year the Pioneers went 2-2 beating Cazenovia 3-1 and D'Youville 3-2, while falling to Canton (3-1) and Alfred State (3-0)... The Pioneers are 3-3 on neutral courts and 1-4 on away courts this season.

DIG MACHINE: Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) leads the team with 165 digs and is averaging 3.93 digs per set... She has totaled nine games with ten or more digs and posted a season best 25 digs against Alfred… She enters the weekend seventh in the Empire 8 in digs.
SPIKING: Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), last week's Utica College athlete of the week, is fifth in the Empire 8 Conference with 111 kills… She is posting a 2.64 kills per set and her season-best came against Medaille College when she racked up 14 kills… She also leads the team in points (139.5) and blocking (26).

HERE TO SERVE: Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) has amassed a team leading 303 assists and nine service aces on the season… Allen's best game came against Medaille College where she tallied 40 assists, nine digs, and one service ace… She posted 38 assists and two service aces against Keuka College.

SCOUTING ALFRED STATE: Alfred State, whose nickname is also the Pioneers, is 11-2 on the season and has not lost in the month of September... In the Pioneers eleven wins they have won in straight sets nine times and have dropped only two sets in those victories... Kay Pfleghardt leads the Pioneers with 149 kills this season and is averaging 3.72 kills per set... Pfleghardt is second on the team with 27 service aces and 154 digs.

LAST TIME AGAINST ALFRED STATE: UC lost in straight sets against Alfred State earlier this season... Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) led UC with 13 digs and Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) had 25 assists.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The Wildcats are 8-9 on the season and are gearing up for their first home stand... SUNYIT has three players with over 100 kills; Emma Larson (168), Megan Will (139), and Morgan Eberley (129)... They also have four players with over 100 digs; Erika Reakes (279), Emma Alrson (163), Morgan Eberley (160), and Shelby Kostal (125).

LAST TIME AGAINST SUNY IT: The Pioneers faced off against the Wildcats earlier this year beating them in straight sets… Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) racked up 14 kills and two blocks while teammate Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) added 27 assists and three kills.

SCOUTING THE SOARING EAGLES: Elmira is 2-11 on the season... As a team the Soaring Eagles have 383 kills and 577 digs... Paola Ortiz leads the team with 24 service aces and 108 points. 

LAST TIME AGAINST ELMIRA: Last year the Pioneers lost 3-0 to the Soaring Eagles...  Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) led the team with nine assists and seven digs and Brandi Blaszack dialed up five kills and one ace.

BACK IN ACTION: After the SUNY IT Wildcat Classic the Pioneers will travel to Houghton College next Saturday for their second Empire 8 pod of the season… UC will take on Ithaca College at 1:30 p.m. and Houghton at 4 p.m.


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