Volleyball 9/14/2018 3:25:00 PM

Volleyball Opens up MAAC Slate at Marist and Siena

Canisius (2-7) vs Marist (3-7)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: McCann Arena – Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Canisius at Siena (1-9)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Alumni Recreation Center – Loudonville, N.Y.
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Twitter: @GriffVolleyball l #Griffs |#MAACVB

*Records as of Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018

The Canisius volleyball team opens Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play this weekend when it travels to Marist and Siena.

Scouting Canisius
• Heading into its MAAC slate, the Golden Griffins sit at 2-7 after winning one of three matches at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament last weekend. The Griffs beat Milwaukee on Friday before dropping contests to Western Michigan and Loyola Chicago on Saturday.
• The Blue and Gold are led offensively by junior Leah Simmons and senior Sara Wesley. Simmons is pacing the Griffs with 86 kills, while Wesley is right behind her with 80.
• The dynamic rookie duo of Camila Vazquez and Melina Woods continue to provide the Griffs with a second wave of offense. Vazquez has recorded 73 kills while Woods has chipped in 69 kills of her own.
• Vazquez and Woods have not been the only freshman making a difference for the Blue and Gold as Hannah Nelson has racked up 32 kills while Ashley Kekeisen has helped with her 75 assists.
• Junior Cassidy Ceriani has once again been the Griffs' main source for assists, racking up 258. Ceriani has also contributed in kills and digs, tallying 46 and 82, respectively.
• Sofia Lopez Acosta has been a mainstay in the libero spot for a second-straight season, digging a team-high 181 balls. This included a career-high 31 digs versus Loyola Chicago.
• Four Golden Griffins have registered double-digit total blocks, including Wesley and Vazquez with 23 apiece.

Canisius Atop the Conference Statistics
• Heading into the start of conference play, Canisius finds itself atop the MAAC leaders in hitting percentage (.210), kills per set (12.73) and digs per set (16.12).
• Vazquez leads all qualified players with a .351 hitting percentage, while Ceriani is ninth at .262.
• Ceriani is also fifth in the conference with 7.82 assists per set.
• Lopez Acosta paces the MAAC with 5.48 digs per set.

Vazquez Wins MAAC Weekly Honors
• Vazquez was selected as the MAAC Co-Rookie of the Week on Tuesday, sharing honors with Rider's Anilee Sher. This comes on the heels of Vazquez being named to the all-tournament team at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Kalamazoo Conference Center Tournament.
• Vazquez tallied weekend totals of 35 kills at a .420 attack percentage and 11 total blocks.
• The freshman set a career-high in kills with 15 against Loyola Chicago, and posted a personal-best eight total blocks in the win over Milwaukee.

Ceriani Closing in on 2000
• Ceriani sits at 1,947 career assists entering Saturday, putting her ninth in program history.
• Sitting eight all-time is Britanny Gerde with 1,987 career assists.
• Ceriani would become just the eighth player in school history to reach 2,000 assists; the first since Grace Streicher during the 2015 season.
• The junior set a career-high with 47 assists versus Stony Brook Sept. 2. She also recorded 45 assists against Loyola Chicago.

Scouting Marist
• The Red Foxes enter Saturday with a 3-7 record, going winless at the Delaware Volleyball Tournament last weekend.
• The offense has been led by a pair of juniors who have reached the 100-kill mark already. Nikki DeSerpa sits at 112 kills, while Megan Fergus has recorded 104 kills.
• Taylor van der Biezen has been the primary feeder for DeSerpa and Fergus, as the senior has 304 assists on the season.
• Stephanie Stone leads the Red Foxes with 30 total blocks, while libero Morgan Owens paces Marist with 154 digs.

Canisius-Marist Series Notes
• Saturday's match will mark the 37th meeting between the two MAAC schools in a series that dates back to 1993.
• The Griffs hold a 19-17 lead in the all-time series, with the past ten matchups going in the Red Foxes' favor.
• Last season, the Blue and Gold lost to Marist at home Sept. 24 before falling at Marist Nov. 4, both matches ending in three sets.

Scouting Siena
• The Saints start the weekend with a 1-9 record, their lone victory coming against Lafayette.
• Last time out, Siena took on Binghamton Sept. 11, dropping the match in five sets.
• Abby Huffman leads the Saints with 62 kills with Dakota Jackson one behind her at 61.
• Jessica Eblin paces the Saints with 251 assists.
• Defensively, Brooke Rogers has put up 17 total blocks and Jojo Ishida has accumulated 112 digs.

Canisius-Siena Series Notes
• Sunday's match will serve as the 47th matchup between the two long-time MAAC foes in a series that began in 1990.
• The Saints hold a 33-14 edge in the all-time series, with Siena winning nine of the past 10 meetings.
• In 2017, the Griffs swept Siena at home Sept. 23 before losing the Nov. 5 match at Siena in four sets.

Up Next
• Canisius begins its home schedule with a pair of contests next weekend. The home opener is set for Sept. 22 against Saint Peter's, while Rider comes to town Sept. 23 for a match that will air live on ESPN+. Start time for both matches is set for 1 p.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center.

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Players Mentioned

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

#2 Sofia Lopez Acosta: L/DS; 5' 7"; Senior

#13 Leah Simmons: MH; 6' 1"; Junior

#15 Sara Wesley: MH; 5' 10"; Senior

#1 Melina Woods: RS; 6' 0"; Freshman

#6 Ashley Kekeisen: S; 5' 10"; Freshman

#8 Camila Vazquez: MH; 6' 2"; Freshman

#14 Hannah Nelson: OH; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

#2 Sofia Lopez Acosta
: 5' 7"; Senior
: L/DS

#13 Leah Simmons
: 6' 1"; Junior
: MH

#15 Sara Wesley
: 5' 10"; Senior
: MH

#1 Melina Woods
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: RS

#6 Ashley Kekeisen
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: S

#8 Camila Vazquez
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: MH

#14 Hannah Nelson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: OH