UTICA, NY - The Utica University volleyball team is set for its final week of Empire 8 regular season conference play. The Pioneers will take on the Keuka College Wolves on the road Friday, November 1 at 6pm before taking on the Elmira College Soaring Eagles on Saturday, November 2 at 1pm. 

Follow Along: Live video for Friday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. Live video for Saturday's matchup can be found here, and live stats can be found here. 

Last Time Out: Leading the way for the Pioneers was Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) who recorded 10 kills, Trinity Bailey (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) who recorded five and Elizabeth Hanba (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) who recorded four. Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) led the team in assists with 11, and Alicia Ancewicz (Greenlawn, NY/John Glenn) had five. At the service line, Wright led the team with three aces, Bailey notched two, and Jones as well as Jada Anthony (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) each recorded one. On defense, Samara Hunt (Fultonville, NY/Fonda-Fultonville Central) recorded 13 digs, Wright recorded 12 and Cassandra Wagemann (Diamond Point, NY/Lake George) recorded 10. At the net, Peyton Migliaccio (Suffern, NY/Suffern) recorded three blocks, including one solo, while Jones and Bailey each assisted on a block. 

LoJo's Mojo: Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) is leading the team in assists and aces this year, totalling 405 assists and 34 aces. She is currently eighth in the Utica single season record books for assists per set with 6.23. Jones is sixth in the Empire 8 for total assists this season. 

Holding it Down: Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) still sits in the Empire 8 top 10 list for digs, currently number two with 306, averaging 4.64 digs per set. She has remained in the top three for the duration of the season. Looking towards the end of the season, Wright currently sits at sixth in the Utica record book for single season digs per set at 4.64 and eighth in kills per set at 2.79. Cassi Wageman has also remained in the Empire 8 top ten for digs, totalling 233, 3.82 per set, which currently puts her at seventh. 

Espo's Crescendo: Caitlyn Esposito (Haddam, CT/Haddam-Killingworth) is looking to end her season with a spot in the top ten single season record book, as she approaches the top 10 for attack percentage with .310. She has a total of 44 points with 37 kills. Esposito has also accumulated 12 blocks, two of which were solo blocks. 

Breaking Down Keuka: The Pioneers have faced Keuka 14 times, only one of which has been on Utica turf. The Wolves are 6-15 overall and 2-7 in the Empire 8. Leading the team, Dayna Edholm is first in the Empire 8 and leads the team in kills with 301 averaging 4.12 per set. Nina Scott is second on the team for kills with a total of 164 and an average of 2.41 kills per set. Casey Hunziker holds fourth in assists for the conference with 570, averaging 7.70 per set, she also leads the team in service aces with 34. Gabby Rodriguez leads the team in digs totalling 290 this season which earns her sixth in the Empire 8. Bryn Straub has 29 blocks this season, 11 solo and 18 assists, she averages .39 per set. 

Scouting the Soaring Eagles: Last year the Pioneers beat Elmira 3-1 breaking the 10 loss streak. The Soaring Eagles are 2-21 overall and 0-9 in the conference. Leading the offense, Madi Conti has 155 kills this season, averaging 2.25 per set. Conti is followed by Makenna Clark with a total of 153, averaging 2.04 per set. Clark also leads the team in service aces with 44, she holds Second in the Empire 8 conference with an average of .61 per set. Gabriela Rodriguez leads the team in digs, totalling 180 this season. Asia Curkendall follows Rodrigues with 152 digs, averaging 2.24 per set. Conti has a total of 26 blocks this season, 15 solo blocks.