Volleyball 9/21/2018 3:00:00 PM

Volleyball Opens Home Slate Against Saint Peter’s and Rider

Saint Peter's (3-13, 1-2 MAAC) at Canisius (3-8, 1-1 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Rider (5-4, 1-1 MAAC) at Canisius
Date: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Location: Koessler Athletic Center – Buffalo, N.Y.
Twitter: @GriffVolleyball l #Griffs |#MAACVB

*Records as of Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018

The Canisius volleyball team opens its home schedule starts this weekend against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foes Saint Peter's and Rider.

Scouting Canisius
• The Golden Griffins sit at 3-8 after splitting two matches last weekend. The Griffs lost to Marist, 3-1, on Sept. 15 before rebounding for their first conference win at Siena, 3-1, on Sept. 16.
• The Blue and Gold are led offensively by junior Leah Simmons and senior Sara Wesley. Simmons is pacing the Griffs with 116 kills (.241 hitting percentage), while Wesley trails her with 92 (.198 hitting percentage).
• The dynamic rookie duo of Camila Vazquez and Melina Woods continue to stay hot. Vazquez has recorded 91 kills at a .344 hitting clip while Woods has chipped in 86 kills of her own with a .228 hitting percentage.
• Junior Cassidy Ceriani has been the primary setter, notching 322 assists. Ceriani has also contributed offensively with 54 kills and defensively with 105 digs.
• The libero spot has seen Sofia Lopez Acosta record 181 digs, including 37 digs over the weekend.
• Four Golden Griffins have registered double-digit total blocks, as Vazquez leads the way with 32.

Griffs Among Conference Leaders
• Canisius finds itself atop the MAAC leaders in hitting percentage (.215), kills per set (12.83) and digs per set (16.12).
• Vazquez's .344 hitting percentage leads all qualified players and her 0.78 blocks per set is ninth-best in the conference.
• Lopez Acosta paces the MAAC with 5.48 digs per set.
• Ceriani is fifth with 8.10 assists per set while Simmons ranks seventh with 3.21 points per set.

Ceriani Moving Up the Record Books
• Ceriani recorded her 2,000th career assist on Sunday, making her the eighth player in program history achieve the milestone.
• The junior setter needs 36 more assists to pass Mary Beth Sands for seventh in career assists at Canisius.

Scouting the Peacocks
• The Peacocks are coming off a weekend that saw them drop a three-set match to Fairfield before taking Quinnipiac to five sets in a loss. Saint Peter's then earned the sweep over Manhattan, 3-0, in a midweek match on Wednesday.
• The offense has been led by Alanis Alvarado and her 160 kills.
• Saint Peter's main setter is Wildalys Soto with 251 assists (6.97 per set).
• On the defensive side, Karla Seda leads the Peacocks with 210 digs, averaging 3.82 per set, while Natalia Carbonell Torres has 36 total blocks.

Canisius-Saint Peter's Series Notes
• Saturday's match will mark the 46th meeting between the two long-time MAAC schools in a series that dates back to 1989.
• The Griffs hold a 32-13 lead in the all-time series, with the past 16 matchups going in the Griffs' favor.
• Last season, the Blue and Gold swept both matches versus the Peacocks.

Scouting Broncs
• Rider swept Quinnipiac before losing to Fairfield in five sets to split their first weekend of MAAC play.
• The Broncs have been powered by Savannah Logan and her 110 kills.
• Anilee Sher paces the Saints with 244 assists, averaging 9.30 per set.
• Defensively, Rachelle Runyon has a team-best 149 digs (3.92 per set) and Perry Williams' 36 total blocks pace the team, averaging 0.97 per set.

Canisius-Rider Series Notes
• Sunday's match will serve as the 36th matchup between the two MAAC foes in a series that began in 1997.
• The Broncs hold a 25-10 edge in the all-time series, with Canisius owning a 8-7 record in the past 15 matches.
• In 2017, the Griffs lost at Rider on Sept. 16 before falling at home on Oct. 22.

Up Next
• Canisius heads back on the road next weekend, heading to the New York City area for a pair of matches. The Griffs play at Iona Sept. 29, with that tilt being broadcast on ESPN3. The Blue and Gold then travel to Manhattan to face the Jaspers Sept. 30. Both matches are set for 1 p.m.

Print Friendly Version

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

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

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