The Utica College volleyball team is back in action Tuesday as the Pioneers play at home against the SUNY Poly Wildcats.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The team struggled during the Utica College Tournament, which took place at their home court (Clark Athletic Center) last weekend.  The Pioneers lost against Farmingdale 3-0, SUNY Potsdam 3-0, Stevens 3-0, and Lasell College 3-2.  Utica now has a 5-17 overall record, and they are still 0-4 in the Empire 8 Conference. 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM SELECTIONS: UC junior Andreana Kroup (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville) and senior Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) earned All-Tournament Team honors for the Pioneers last weekend. Blaszak earned all-tournament team honors after posting 24 kills, two service aces, four digs and five blocks in four matches.  Kroup earned her first collegiate all-tournament team honor after posting 24 digs and five service aces over the course of the weekend.
 
PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR: Senior Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) leads the team in kills with 171.  She also has 12 assists.  Sophomore Nicole Herringshaw (Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) is now ranked fourth in the Empire 8 Conference with 55 blocks.   She is also ranked second on the team in kills with 134.  Hannah Voss (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) has a team high 269 assists, and she has 124 kills, which third best for the team. 
 
SCOUTING SUNY POLY: SUNY Poly is 13-6 overall and is currently riding a seven game winning streak.  Their last win came on the road against Penn. St.-Berks 3-0.  In 19 matches the team averaged 11.18 kills per set, while posting a .176 hitting percentage.  Senior Ryenn Smith is a player that the Pioneers need to keep a close eye on.  She has 215 total kills this season, a 3.52 kills per set average, to go along with 16 assists.  Sophomore Sydney Johnson is another player to look out for as she leads the team in assists with 576. 
 
AGAINST THE WILDCATS: Utica was 0-2 against the Wildcats last year (2015).  They also faced off against SUNY Poly on the road earlier this year (Sept. 7, 2016), but the Wildcats came away with a 3-0 victory over the Pioneers. Their last win against SUNY Poly came on Sept. 10, 2014 where the Pioneers easily defeated the Wildcats at home 3-0. 
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers will play against SUNY Poly this Tuesday, and then they play against the Nazareth Golden Flyers, another Empire 8 opponent, this Saturday.