UTICA, NY - The Utica College volleyball team will be back on the court on Wednesday, April 7th as they visit Elmira College. They will also host their Spring 2021 home finale on Saturday against Nazareth College. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Elmira, and at 1 p.m. on Saturday on Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center. Both matches will be conference matches.

To Attend: Per the latest attendance guidelines issued recently by the College, 65 Utica College students will be permitted to attend Saturday's match. Those individuals must sign up in advance on Friday, and those seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Attendance for events in the Clark Athletic Center gymnasium is restricted to students only until further notice. More information is available at https://ucpioneers.com/news/2021/4/1/uc-announces-spectator-attendance-policy.aspx.

Follow Along: Live video and stats will be available for Wednesday's match at portal.stretchinternet.com/elmira. Live video and stats for Saturday will be available at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.

Where It Sits: The Pioneers currently sit at a 1-2 overall record, and have dropped their last two matches since a 3-1 season-opening win against Sage. Utica is 1-0 at home entering its second and final home match of the season on Saturday. They sit in the sixth and final conference playoff spot currently. A second win this season would likely cement a tournament position regardless of what

Last Time Out: The Pioneers dropped a 3-0 decision against Houghton on March 28th. The match was closer than the straight-set score indicates, as the Pioneers took the Highlanders to extra points on the first two sets, falling 26-24 in each one. Julyanna Sauschuk had seven kills, while Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) and Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) each had five. Cepiel also had four of the team's seven service aces. Rosemarie Fesko (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) put up three blocks, while rookie Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) set fourteen assists. Briana Toledo (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley) had twelve digs on the defensive end.

Conference Ranks: The Pioneers are fourth in the Empire 8 with a 9.6 percent hitting percentage this season. They are third in the conference with 9.20 assists per set, and are also third with 9.80 kills per set. They lead the Empire 8 in blocks with an average of 1.50 per set, and are also tops in digs with an average of 19.30 per set.

On The Attacking End: Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) currently stands fourth in the Empire 8 Conference with an average of 2.90 kills per set. She leads the team with 29 in total. Cepiel is a one-time Empire 8 Player of the Week this season for her performance against Sage. Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) has 16 through three matches, while rookie Brianna Woods (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) had fourteen. Cepiel and Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) each have five service aces this season.

Block Party: Utica leads the conference in blocks per set, and it's no surprise to see Rosemarie Fesko (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) and Brianna Woods (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) lurking at the top of the E8 leaderboard. Fesko is second in the conference with 0.83 blocks per set, and has five in total in her first six sets played. Brianna Woods (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) has eight total blocks, and is third in the conference at 0.80 blocks per set. The Pioneers have had the most blocks of any team in the conference in a three set match this season with their five against Houghton.

Can You Dig It: Briana Toledo (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley) and Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) are a big reason why the Pioneers stand atop the list in digs per set among E8 institutions this season. Toledo is third in the conference at an average of 4.50 per set in her senior season. Cepiel ranks fifth with an average of 4.20. Utica had the most digs in a single match of any E8 member this season with 109 in the match against Sage.

About Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are 1-2, and lost their most recent match to Fisher in five sets. Kaylee Kelly is averaging 3.33 kills per set to rank second in the Empire 8 conference, while Kelly Taylor is fifth with 6.54 assists per set. 

About Elmira: The Soaring Eagles are 3-1, and most recently swept a doubleheader against Sage with a pair of four set wins. They have the top hitting percentage in the conference, and also lead the E8 in assists per set, and kills per set. They are second in the conference at an average of 2.87 service aces per set. Lydia Milligan is fifth in the conference at 2.73 kills per set, and Kassi Hastings leads the E8 with 8.55 assists per set. 

Up Next: The Pioneers wrap up the regular season at Fisher on Sunday, April 18th.