UTICA, NY - The Utica University volleyball team is set to begin a very busy week with five matches. The team will travel to face SUNY Cobleskill on Wednesday, September 6 at 7 p.m. before heading to Erie, PA for the Penn State Behrend Invitational. The tournament will see Utica face Grove City College at 5:30 p.m. and Westminster College (PA) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 8. On Saturday, the team will face Penn State Behrend at 11 a.m. and then Alfred State College at 1 p.m.
 
Follow Along: Those unable to attend can tune in for live video here and live stats here.
 
Last Time Out: Utica continued its success from the first match into its bout with Oswego sweeping them in three sets. Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) had 12 kills while Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) (10) and Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) (4) followed suit. Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) tacked on 25 assists while Wright had two aces, and Johnson and Maggiore each had one. The Pioneers were effective defensively with Caitlyn Esposito (Haddam, CT/Haddam-Killingworth) leading the team with four blocks while Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) (3) and Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) (1) also were key factors. Cepiel led the way with 19 digs while Cassi Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) tallied 17 and Wright had nine. Utica's offense had 34 kills compared to Oswego's 26 and forced 22 errors and just a minuscule .031 attacking percentage for the Lakers. The teams battled back and forth for the majority of the first set until they held a 17-12 advantage. Oswego threatened to cut the lead to three, yet the Pioneers offense closed out the frame on a 5-0 run to win the first set 25-15. The Lakers held a 7-6 edge in set two and grew it to 22-20. However, Utica remained relentless late in sets and again closed out the second set in 5-0 run fashion to collect a 25-22 set two win. Oswego came out strong again in the third set with a 10-4 lead yet the Pioneers kept chipping away, gaining their first lead at 13-12. Oswego boasted a rally to regain a 17-14 edge before the set was tied at 23-23. A Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) kill and Oswego error led to a 25-23 set victory for Utica.
 
Veteran Dominance: Veterans Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names), Madison Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee), and Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) turned in a fantastic opening weekend. Cepiel shined at the Oswego State Tournament with 35 kills, 49 digs, two assists, and one service ace over the three games. She recorded double-digit kills in all three games with 10, 13, and 12. The West Sand Lake, NY native was also very active on the defensive end with 17 digs against Wheaton (MA), 13 against Marywood, and then 19 against Oswego. Maggiore tallied 80 assists over the weekend which ranks second in the Empire 8 and boasted at least 22 assists in each game with a season-high 33 against Marywood. The Orangeburg, NY native also has eight kills and four service aces thus far. Johnson has continued to excel at serving with four aces this season and has stepped it up defensively with 10 digs.
 
New Faces, Huge Impact: Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) and Cassi Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) had a fantastic opening weekend to the new campaign and have cemented themselves as key players on the team. Wright shined collecting 21 kills with an impressive .271 attack percentage, four service aces, and 32 digs. The freshman played a crucial role on both sides of the ball and helped the Pioneers go 2-1 at the Oswego State Tournament including two sweeps. Wagemann also thrived in her Pioneer debut and leads the Empire 8 in digs with 51 including double-digits in all three games. The junior set a career-high with 24 digs against Marywood which is the most in a game since Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) recorded 25 against Medaille on October 15 of last season.
 
Sophomore Leap: The trio of Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South), and Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) have already displayed strides in their second seasons with the team. Jones has tallied 15 kills, 25 digs, eight blocks, and one service ace. Her eight blocks ranks second in the conference and she has become an anchor on the defensive end. Anthony has come out strong with eight kills, four service aces, six digs, and three blocks. The West Nyack, NY native has cemented herself as a premier middle blocker for the Pioneers. Brennan has picked up right where she left off last season with 13 kills and 10 blocks thus far. She is heating up as she tallied a career-high 10 kills against Oswego State with an incredible .588 attacking percentage which is the highest of her career with at least 15 total attacks in a match.
 
Scouting SUNY Cobleskill: The Fighting Tigers are 0-3 to begin the 2023 campaign after falling to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Keuka College, and Hilbert College at the 2023 Keuka College Invitational this past weekend. The offense is led by Alexis Miranda and Emma Hinze who each have 32 kills this season. Miranda and Hinze have also been active defensively, each recording more than 20 digs this season. Baylee Kirschberg has 26 digs and Lydia Mcdonough is the team's anchor with 52. The team's top blockers are Miranda (9), Emily Wisniewski (4), and Kirschberg with two.
 
Penn State Invitational Opponents: The Wolverines are 3-1 to start this season after beating Hiram College 3-1 in their final game of the Cedar Point Tournament. The team will face Chatham University, Thiel College, and Allegheny College before clashing with Utica on September 8. The team has done well offensively amassing 171 kills with a .214 attacking percentage and an incredible 30 service aces. Defensively, the Wolverines have tallied 259 digs with 26 blocks. Westminster College is a perfect 3-0 this season and has been in top form and not dropped a single set this season. The team has a plus 20 kill differential with 20 aces, 160 digs, and 15 blocks. The Griffins have dominated in all facets with a plus differential in all of the aforementioned categories. Penn State Behrend is 3-0 this season after winning all three of its matches in four sets thus far. The team will face Fredonia College and Grove City before facing Utica. The Nittany Lions have 132 kills, 37 aces, 177 digs, and 16 blocks this season. Alfred State is 2-1 after beating Houghton University 3-1 this past weekend. Alfred State has 127 kills, 43 aces, 171 digs, and six blocks in 2023. 

Up Next: The team will have its home opener on Wednesday, September 13 at 7 p.m. against SUNY Poly on its First Responders Night.