Volleyball Meets Niagara For Battle of the Bridge Opener

The Canisius volleyball program prepares for a midweek rivalry matchup, as the 4-4 Golden Griffins meet the 6-2 Niagara Purple Eagles, in Lewiston, N.Y. on Thursday. The match is the only scheduled contest of the week, as the Griffs head into their bye weekend, and is the latest edition of the Battle of the Bridge series. Opening serve is slated for 6 p.m.

NOTING THE GRIFFS
• As a team the Griffs are coming off a successful two-match weekend, defeating Iona in three sets and Manhattan in four, to improve to 4-4.
• As a team the Blue and Gold come into the match with the second-best hitting percentage in the league with a .174 average.
• The Griffs are also ranked third in the league with a 11.56 kills per set mark, behind just Fairfield (12.68) and Quinnipiac (11.86).
• Canisius has vastly improved its net presence this season, as compared to years past, rating third in the league in blocks per set with a 1.77 blocks per set average.
• Sara Wesley continues to be the league-leader in hitting percentage having slammed down 156 kills and just 54 errors in 323 attempts for a .316 mark.
• Wesley is the only player in the MAAC to have a hitting percentage over .300.
• Claire Leonard is currently ranked third in the conference in kills per set with a 3.13 mark. She is also the highest ranked freshman in that category.
• Cassidy Ceriani continues to lead the team in assists with an 8.68 assist per average, which puts her third in the conference in that category.
• Sofia Lopez Acosta is starting to lock in at the libero position, ranking fifth in the MAAC in digs per set with a mark of 4.00 digs per frame.

THEY ARE HONORED
• Canisius received recognition from the conference on Tuesday, as a pair of its players earned MAAC weekly awards.
• Sofia Lopez Acosta and Claire Leonard were honored as the MAAC libero and rookie of the week, after the team bested Iona and Manhattan last weekend.
• Lopez Acosta finished the two-match set with a digs per set average of 5.57, and tallied 39 total, during the weekend. The junior transfer tallied 14 against the Gaels and a new season-best of 25 against the Jaspers.
• Leonard continued to be a threat offensively, completing the weekend with a kills per set average of 4.00 and a blocks per frame mark of 1.43. Against the Gaels she posted seven kills but exploded for 21 against Manhattan. She also added 10 blocks, three digs and a hitting percentage of .286.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST NIAGARA
• Niagara and Canisius have had a storied history spanning over 100 contests, as the Griffs have gone 50-51-2 against the Purple Eagles.
• In the last 10 contests the Blue and Gold have struggled against Niagara, having gone just 3-7.
• The Purple Eagles have won the last four matches against the Blue and Gold.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE
• Canisius as a whole has been dominant in the battle of the bridge series, having won 10 championships in the last 11 years.
• Last season Canisius reeled off a 30-8 Battle of the Bridge win, posting wins in women's soccer, cross country, women's basketball, swimming and diving, hockey, golf, women's lacrosse, track, softball and baseball.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Cassidy Ceriani: S; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#15 Sara Wesley: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

#1 Claire Leonard: OH/MB; 6' 0"; Freshman

#2 Sofia Lopez Acosta: L; 5' 7"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#3 Cassidy Ceriani
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: S

#15 Sara Wesley
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH

#1 Claire Leonard
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: OH/MB

#2 Sofia Lopez Acosta
: 5' 7"; Junior
: L