Women's Volleyball 9/18/2017 1:00:00 PM Lea Sobieraski, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

Wildcats Make 2017 Home Debut Tuesday

GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (3-7, 0-0 ECC) vs. Le Moyne Dolphins (5-5, 0-1 NE-10)
Tuesday, September 19 | 7:00 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium

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ALBANO BACK IN ACTION
Stephanie Albano enters her second season as the Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Daemen in 2017. She was promoted to the position after serving as the Associate Head Coach in 2015. In her first season at the helm, Albano led the program to a 25-8 overall record and 13-1 mark in ECC play. She guided the Wildcats to the program's first ECC regular season championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Albano was named the 2016 East Coast Conference Coach of the year and the 2016 NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year last season. She was also selected as one of the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) 30 Under 30 award recipients in the spring of 2017.

WILDCATS PICKED 2ND IN ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish 2nd in the East Coast Conference this season after capturing the league's regular season championship in 2016.

HOW SWEET IT WAS
After finishing as the ECC tournament runner-ups, the Wildcats earned the program's first ever-NCAA Tournament berth as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional portion of the tournament which was hosted at Daemen's Lumsden gymnasium. Daemen captured their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, defeating Post University in a five-set thriller. The next day the Wildcats advanced to the sweet 16 after defeating third-seeded University of New Haven with a 3-0 victory. But, their historic 2016 camp to an end in the regional finals, falling 3-2 to fourth-seeded American International College.

RETURNING WILDCATS
The Wildcats return eight players from last year's historic 25-8 squad. Redshirt junior Courtney Scanlan returns as a force on the oustide after registering 226 kills in her debut season as a Wildcat. Scanlan registered nine double-digit kill performances last year. Daemen also welcomes back Meghan Ballou and Cristina Apostol, the pair finished first and second on the team in total blocks respectively. Meghan Ballou, a sophomore outside hitter, finished her freshman campaign with 178 kills and 48 blocks. Apostol, a sophomore middle blocker, concluded her rookie season with 185 kills and 43 blocks. Offensive threat Courtney Bernard is back on the season in 2017, the junior middle blocker recorded 153 kills and 41 blocks in just 19 matches. Senior leader Katie McKrell and sophomore Sydney MacInnis return as the top floor generals at the setting position for the Wildcats. Lastly, Daemen's defensive efforts will be led by junior Kailey Ballou and sophomore Jess Kranz, in 2016 the duo registered 318 and 209 dig respectively.

FRESH FACES
Daemen welcomes six true freshmen to the 2017 squad, including players from five different states. Ali Greenwood, a defensive specialist, comes to Daemen from the Greater Chicago area where she was a two-year starter for the west Aurora Blackhawks, helping them to an Upstate 8 Conference championship in 2015. Fellow defensive specialist Georgia Wicker hails from northern Illinois where she earned four varsity letters for the Woodstock Blue Streaks. She ended her scholastic career with a school record 1,857 digs. Outside hitter Abby Francis comes from Royal Oak, Michigan and brings an ability to play both the front and back rows. Jennifer Heritz, a 6-foot middle-blocker comes to Daemen from The Hoosier State, where she starred for the Penn Kingsmen and helped her team win two sectional championships. Allison Post, another 6-footer, traveled from Windsor, California to join the Wildcat squad. The outside hitter was a two-time All-North Bay league first-team selection in her four year career. Rounding out the rookie class is local athlete Tirzah Peters who comes to Daemen after an impressive athletic career just a short drive away at Sweet Home High School. The 6-foot middle blocker earned six varsity letters on the volleyball court for the Panthers.

ALL-TOURNEY APOSTOL
Sophomore Cristina Apostol was selected to the Cal Vulcan Invitational All-Tournament Team for her performance over the weekend of September 8-9. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker posted 45 kills, ten blocks, ten digs and six service aces in the event hosted by California University (Pa.).

DEFENSIVE DUO
Freshmen Ali Greenwood and Georgia Wicker have made an immediate impact on the Wildcats, ranking first and second on the team in digs. Greenwood, a 5-foot-6 defensive specialist, has registered 135 total digs and is averaging 3.55 digs per set. Wicker, a 5-foot-3 defensive specialist, has recorded 121 digs and is averaging 3.18 digs per set. The pair has accounted for 256 of the team's 605 total digs, and have each registered double-figure digs in eight of the ten possible matches.

MCKRELL NEARS MILESTONE
Senior Katie McKrell has registered 301 assists in ten matches, bringing her career total to 1,959. The 5-foot-8 Rochester native remains just 41 shy of reaching 2,000 career assists. In her first two season as a Wildcat, McKrell dished out 1,637 helpers. With 1,959 assists, she currently ranks 5th in program history for career total assists. McKrell is en route to becoming only the fifth Wildcat to reach the 2,000 mark.

FIVE SETS ON THE WILDCATS

Daemen's win over Adelphi, who made their 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season, concluded their four game stint against teams that qualified for the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Daemen ranks in the top four in the categories of assists, kills, service aces and digs among all East Coast Conference teams thus far
In 10 matches Daemen has posted 15.9 digs per set, compared to their opponent's 14.2 digs per set
Sophomore Meghan Ballou leads the Wildcats with 119 total kills through ten matches, and shes averaging 3.13 kills per set. Ballou ranks fourth in the conference in total kills and fifth in kills per set.
Senior setter Katie McKrell has totaled 301 assists thus far and ranks fifth in the ECC in assists per set with 7.92

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen snapped its seven-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating Adelphi University and the College of Saint Rose during a tri-match hosted by Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. The Wildcats captured a thrilling five-set win over the Panthers (21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 15-7), followed by a straight-set sweep over the host Golden Knights (26-24, 25-23, 25-17). With the two wins, Daemen improved to 3-7 overall. Against Adelphi, sophomore Meghan Ballou led a balanced offense with 15 kills while adding 10 digs, good for her fourth double-double this season. Freshmen Jenn Heritz posted 11 kills for a .556 attack percentage, while sophomore Cristina Apostol chipped in with 10 kills and a game-high three blocks. Senior Katie McKrell dished out a game-high 44 assists in the win. In the sweep over Saint Rose, Ballou and Heritz each had another double-digit kill performance, posting 17 and 11 kills respectively. McKrell (16 assists) split time with sophomore Sydney MacInnis to record 35 of the team's 41 assists in the win.  Daemen's defense was led by the freshmen duo of Ali Greenwood and Georgia Wicker. The pair totaled 60 of the team's 116 digs, Greenwood registered 34 while Wicker record 26 in the combined matches.

LE MOYNE SCOUTING REPORT
Daemen's first home contest of the 2017 season comes against Le Moyne out of the Northeast-10 conference. The Dolphins are led by Lizzie Cheek who entered her fifth year as the women's volleyball head coach in 2017. Le Moyne was selected third in the NE-10 Conference Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll prior to the start of the season. The Dolphins are coming off a 22-7 season in 2016, which included the Northeast-10 Regular Season title and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament berth. Le Moyne returned 10 players this season, five of which started for the Dolphins a year ago, and welcomed two new freshmen. The Dolphins have gone an even 5-5 thus far, with wins coming against Jefferson, Molloy, Nyack, Davis & Elkins and Roberts Wesleyan. Le Moyne's most recent five-set loss came at the hands of fellow NE-10 member Southern Connecticut State University last Saturday. Junior Libero Mikayla Porr broke the programs career dig record, registering 29 digs in the loss. Classmate Marguerite Dillion led four Dolphins with double-digit kills, with a career-high 18. Le Moyne had five players with double-figure digs in the loss. Jessica Miller leads the Le Moyne attack with 144 season kills and 16 total blocks. Veteran setter Kendall Corcoran has dished out a team-high 426 assists, while Porr leads the Dolphin defense with 243 total digs.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Le Moyne: 5-3
Streak: L-1
Last Meeting: Le Moyne 3, Daemen 2 | September 9, 2016 | Dewitt, N.Y.

FIVE-SET FOES
Daemen and Le Moyne have faced off eight times over the course of 11 years, with the Wildcats winning five and the Dolphins winning three. Of the eight contests, five of them have have gone the full five sets. Daemen has come away with four of those five-set thrillers, while the Dolphins ousted the Wildcats last season in five sets.

UP NEXT
Daemen opens the East Coast Conference segment of their 2017 schedule this weekend when they play host to Mercy College and the University of Bridgeport. The Wildcats face off against Molloy on Friday (Sept. 22) at 7:00 p.m. and close out their three-game homestand against the Purple Knights on Saturday (Sept. 23) at 1:00 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Cristina Apostol: MB; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#1 Kailey Ballou: L; 5' 7"; Junior

#2 Meghan Ballou: OH; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#9 Courtney Bernard: MB/RS; 6' 0"; Junior

#4 Jess Kranz: DS; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#8 Sydney MacInnis: S; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#11 Katie McKrell: S; 5' 8"; Senior

#7 Courtney Scanlan: OH; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#3 Ali Greenwood: DS; 5' 6"; Freshman

#5 Jenn Heritz: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#15 Cristina Apostol
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: MB

#1 Kailey Ballou
: 5' 7"; Junior
: L

#2 Meghan Ballou
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH

#9 Courtney Bernard
: 6' 0"; Junior
: MB/RS

#4 Jess Kranz
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: DS

#8 Sydney MacInnis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: S

#11 Katie McKrell
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

#7 Courtney Scanlan
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: OH

#3 Ali Greenwood
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: DS

#5 Jenn Heritz
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH