Freshman setter Isa McCaffrey totaled 93 assists in the first three matches of her career last weekend

Women's Volleyball 8/30/2018 12:00:00 PM By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Women's Volleyball Heads To Ohio This Weekend

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION & LINKS
Hall of Fame City Challenge
Hosted by Malone University | Canton, Ohio | Osborne Hall

Friday, August 31
12:15 p.m. - Daemen Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. Seton Hill Griffins (2-2, 0-0 PSAC)
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

7 p.m. - Daemen Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (3-1, 0-0 GLVC)
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

Saturday, September 1
11:15 a.m. - Daemen Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. Notre Dame Falcons (1-2, 0-0 MEC)
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

3:45 p.m. - Daemen Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. Malone Pioneers (2-2, 0-0 GMAC)
LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

SUPER STEPH
Stephanie Albano enters her third season as Daemen's head coach in 2018. She was promoted to the position in 2016 after serving one season as the team's associate head coach. In her first two seasons at the helm, Albano has led the program to a 36-24 overall record and a 20-8 mark in ECC play. In 2016, she was named the East Coast Conference and NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year after leading Daemen to the ECC regular season championship. That season also saw Daemen host both the ECC and NCAA Division II East Regional tournaments with the Wildcats advancing to the finals of each. Albano was also selected as one of the American Volleyball Coaches Association 30 Under 30 award recipients in the spring of 2017.

2017 RECAP
The 2017 campaign saw Daemen post an 11-16 overall record and a 7-7 mark in ECC play. The top five teams in the league last season (Molloy, LIU Post, NYIT, Bridgeport, Daemen) really separated themselves by going a combined 49-21 in league play (.700 winning percentage), compared to the combined record of the league's bottom three teams (Queens, Roberts Wesleyan, Mercy) which was 7-35 (.167 winning percentage). Daemen finished comfortably ahead of sixth-place Queens (7-17, 4-10 ECC), but their 7-7 league record was one win shy of fourth-place Bridgeport (12-16, 8-6 ECC) who captured the fourth and final conference tournament berth.

RETURNING WILDCATS
The Wildcats return 10 players from their 2017 roster, and those returning accounted for 74 percent of the team's total kills and 73 percent of the team's total digs. The group of returners is headlined by junior outside hitter/middle hitter Meghan Ballou and sophomore middle hitter/right side hitter Jenn Heritz. Ballou led the team in kills (303), kills per set (3.06) and total attacks (934) last season en route to earning second team All-ECC honors. She also led the team with 11 double-doubles last season. Heritz was named the team's MVP after putting together a fine rookie season. A two-time ECC Rookie of the Week honoree, Heritz led the team in blocks (48) and contributed 214 kills, tops among the team's six freshmen. The Wildcats also retain the services of Cristina Apostol, a 6-foot-2 junior middle blocker who has seen action in 56 of a possible 60 matches over her first two collegiate seasons. Apostol notched a career-best 10 matches with double-figure kills in 2017, while also contributing 47 blocks.

GET DEFENSIVE
The Wildcats also return a trio of experienced defensive specialists in Kailey Ballou, Ali Greenwood and Georgia Wicker. Ballou, the team's lone senior, enters her final collegiate campaign with 79 matches and 300 sets under her belt. In that time, she's posted 10 or more digs in a match 39 times. Both Greenwood and Wicker spent time as the Wildcats' primary libero in 2017. Wicker totaled a team-best 409 digs, the most for a Wildcat newcomer since Paige Tilert's 401 during the 2012 season.

REPLACING MCKRELL
One familiar face that is not back with the team is setter Katie McKrell who was lost to graduation. A four-year team member, McKrell closed her career with 2,549 assists - one of only four players in team history to surpass the 2,500 milestone. She also ranks second all-time at Daemen with 8.22 assists per set for her career. The task of replacing McKrell will likely fall on the shoulders of freshman Isa McCaffrey, the only true setter on the Wildcats' roster in 2018. McCaffrey earned first team All-District honors and surpassed 1,000 assists in both her junior and senior seasons at Magnificat High School in suburban Cleveland.

THE EDEN PIPELINE
The Wildcats also landed 5-foot-10 outside hitter Sam Logan as part of their 2018 recruiting class. Logan comes to Daemen from the storied program at Eden High School where she helped the Lady Raiders to three consecutive New York State Class C championships. A two-time All-State honoree, Logan is the latest Eden product to don the Daemen blue and white as she joins fellow Eden alums Kailey and Meghan Ballou. Logan is expected to make an immediate impact this season for the Wildcats.

DAEMEN VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC RECAP
The Wildcats opened the 2018 season by going 1-2 at their own tournament, the Daemen Volleyball Classic which was held Aug. 24-25. Daemen opened up with a 3-0 win over regional foe St. Rose, but dropped consecutive 3-0 decisions to Lake Erie and Gannon. Both Lake Erie and Gannon are coming off 25+ win seasons, and Gannon advanced to the national semifinals last season. Sophomore middle blocker Tirzah Peters put down a career-best 13 kills in the win over St. Rose, and totaled a team-high 26 kills for the weekend. She was Daemen's lone representative on the all-tournament team. Freshman setter Isa McCaffrey saw extensive action, and totaled 93 assists in the tournament (9.30 assists/set).

SETON HILL SCOUTING REPORT
Seton Hill is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and the Griffins are led by longtime head coach Rick Hall. Now in his 34th season, Hall has led the Griffins to a 703-371 record, two regional championships and four national tournament appearances. The Griffins are coming off a 22-8 campaign in 2017, and a second place finish in the PSAC's Southwest Division with a 14-4 league record. The Griffins earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Atlantic Regional where their season ended in the quarterfinal round. With 13 players returning, the Griffins have been tabbed as the favorites to win the PSAC Southwest Division in 2018. The returners are headlined by redshirt junior middle hitter Leah Bisignani who earned first team All-PSAC honors last season. Bisignani led the Griffins with 3.07 kills per set and attacked at a .312 clip, while also adding 105 blocks. Third team All-PSAC selection Viktoria Farian, a sophomore outside hitter, also returns. Farian led the team in total kills (321) and ranked second in digs (324). The Griffins opened the 2018 season by going 2-2 at the Eckerd (Fla.) Tournament, dropping matches to #23 Augustana and Missouri-St. Louis before defeating Charleston and Eckerd.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. SETON HILL
Series Record: 7-8
Streak: Lost 6
Last Meeting: Seton Hill 3, Daemen 1 | Sept. 12, 2009 | West Chester, Pa.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SCOUTING REPORT
Southern Indiana is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and the Screaming Eagles are led by alumnus Leah Mercer. The 2002 USI grad has led the program to a 229-178 record to date and three NCAA Tournament appearances. USI is coming off a 12-19 campaign in 2017, including a 5-13 mark in GLVC play. The Screaming Eagles return 11 players from their 2017 roster, including junior outside hitter Mikaila Humphrey and junior right side/middle hitter Elexis Coleman, the team's top two offensive threats last season. Humphrey led the team with 352 total kills, and Coleman knocked down 261 total kills. Also back is sophomore setter Casey Cepicky who averaged 9.43 assists per set last season. USI has been picked 10th in the GLVC preseason poll. They opened the season by winning three of four matches at their own tournament, the USI Invitational, last weekend.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. SOUTHERN INDIANA
Series Record: 0-0
Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

NOTRE DAME SCOUTING REPORT
Notre Dame is a member of the Mountain East Conference, and the Falcons are led by head coach Travis Hinkle who is in his first season with the program. The Falcons are coming off a 13-20 campaign in 2017, including a 4-12 mark in MEC play. Eleven players return to the roster in 2018, and the Falcons were picked ninth in the MEC preseason poll. The team's returners are led by junior outside hitter Mary Kate McHugh who finished second on the team with 328 kills in 2017. Additional offensive and defensive production should come from junior middle/outside hitter Natalie Spadaro who totaled 292 kills and a team-best 52 blocks last season. Junior setter Paige Staudacher also returns after posting 1,191 assists last season.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. NOTRE DAME
Series Record: 16-7
Streak: Won 4
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Notre Dame 0 | Oct. 16, 2010 | Amherst, N.Y.

MALONE SCOUTING REPORT
Malone is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and the Pioneers are led by longtime head coach Tanya Hockman. Now in her 20th season at the helm, Hockman has guided the Pioneers to a 444-293 record, and the team has topped the 20-win plateau in 13 seasons. Malone posted an 18-13 overall record in 2017, and their 12-6 mark in GMAC play was good for a third place finish in the East Division. Hockman has the luxury of 11 returning players, a group that's headlined by senior middle/outside hitter Mallory Adams, a second team All-GMAC pick in 2017. Adams led the team with 304 kills and 120 blocks last season. Senior setter Cathryn Miller, who led the team with 636 assists, also returns. The Pioneers were picked third in the GMAC East Division preseason poll.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. MALONE
Series Record: 1-11
Streak: Lost 5
Last Meeting: Malone 3, Daemen 0 | Oct. 1, 2010 | Amherst, N.Y.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen plays in its third of three early season tournaments next weekend at the Post Eagles Invitational. The two-day tournament (Sept. 8-9) has Daemen playing Le Moyne, Bentley, Caldwell and tournament host Post.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

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

#10 Georgia Wicker: DS; 5' 3"; Freshman

#16 Tirzah Peters: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#11 Isa McCaffrey: S; 5' 8"; Freshman

#6 Sam Logan: OH; 5' 10"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

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

#10 Georgia Wicker
: 5' 3"; Freshman
: DS

#16 Tirzah Peters
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH

#11 Isa McCaffrey
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: S

#6 Sam Logan
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: OH