UTICA, NY - The Utica University volleyball team continues Empire 8 Conference this week with two road games against Empire 8 newcomers SUNY Brockport on Friday, October 18 and SUNY Geneseo Saturday, October 19.
Follow Along: Live stats for Friday's matchup can be found at
https://gobrockport.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary while live video can be found at
https://www.empire8network.com/brockport Live video for Satuday's matchup can be found at https://
www.empire8network.com/geneseo and live stats can be found at
https://geneseoknights.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
Last Time Out: Leading the way for the Pioneers was
Peyton Migliaccio (Suffern, NY/Suffern) who tallied seven kills in the contest.
Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) was not far behind with six and
Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) with four. Dishing out the assists was
Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) with 18,
Alicia Ancewicz (Greenlawn, NY/John Glenn) with four and
Cassandra Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) with two. At the service line, Jones was the only Pioneer to record an ace. On defense, Wright led the team with 15 digs, Wagemann recorded 11 and Jones recorded nine. At the net,
Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) recorded a solo block and two assists, Jones recorded two assists, and Migliaccio recorded one.
Where We Stand: At the halfway point of conference play in the regular season, the Pioneers find themselves at 1-4 conference play. Utica has found themselves just outside of the eight teams eligible for a playoff berth, and with six conference games remaining, Utica's hopes for a playoff spot are still alive. The Pioneers are one of the best defensive teams in the conference, averaging 18.26 digs per set, a mark that puts the team at the top of the conference leaderboard. Utica has also allowed the second least service aces to opponents, with opponents averaging less than 1.60 aces per set. The Pioneers have also held opponents to a .140 hitting percentage, a mark that is the fourth least in the conference.
Jonesing for a Record: Setter
Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) has put together a stellar performance for the Pioneers this season, tallying 379 assists so far this season. Her 7.15 assists per set average is a mark good enough for seventh on the conference leaderboard in assists. If Jones continues her performance, she will crack into the top ten on the career assists record book.
Digging for Gold: The duo of
Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) and
Cassandra Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) have continued their dominance on the defensive side of the ball. Wright currently holds the second spot in the conference in digs with 251, averaging 4.74 digs per set. Wagemann is not far behind Wright, occupying the third spot on the conference leaderboard, averaging 4.31 digs per set. If Wright continues her momentum, she is poised to enter the top five on the single season digs and digs per set leaderboard.
Breaking Down Brockport: Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Brockport has posted a 10-6 record so far this season, and has put up a 3-1 record in conference play. Alexis Sison currently holds the team's top spot on the team leaderboard and finds herself fifth on the conference leaderboard in kills with 168. Kaitlyn Jewett leads the team in assists with 338. At the service line, the team has recorded 126 service aces, with Jewett recording a team high 28. On defense, Elsie Logan has recorded 288 digs and has boasted a .931 reception percentage. At the net, Lauren Emke has been a force for the Golden Eagles, tallying 40 blocks on the season, eight solo and 32 assists. This will be the first time since 2016 that the Pioneers will square off against the Golden Eagles. The last matchup was taken by Brockport by a score of 3-0.
A Look at Geneseo: Empire 8 Conference newcomer SUNY Geneseo has posted a 5-11 record this season and are 2-2 in conference play. Maddy Baumann has been the teams leading hitter, notching 107 kills this season. Carolyn Mack has dished out the most assists for the Knights this season tallying 217. At the service line, the team has recorded 122 aces, with Zooey Gagnier recording a team high 24. On defense, Gagnier has recorded 214 digs this season, averaging 3.75 digs per set. At the net, Cory Elder has notched 31 blocks, with eight solo blocks and 23 assists. This will be the first time since 2016 that the Pioneers will match up against the Knights. The last time the two met, Geneseo walked away with the match by a score of 3-0.
Up Next: The team returns home to take on the St. John Fisher University Cardinals on October 25. Game time from the Clark Athletic Center is set for 7pm.
