Volleyball Looks to Continue Hot Streak at Iona and Manhattan

Canisius (5-8, 3-1 MAAC) at Iona (4-5, 2-1 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Hynes Athletics Center – New Rochelle, N.Y.
Live Video: ESPN3
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Canisius at Manhattan (0-15, 0-4 MAAC)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Draddy Gymnasium – Riverdale, N.Y.
Live Video: Jaspers Sports Network
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

Twitter: @GriffVolleyball l #Griffs |#MAACVB

*Records as of Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018

The Canisius volleyball team looks to extend its three-match winning streak this weekend as the Golden Griffins travel to Iona and Manhattan for a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contests.

Scouting Canisius
• The Golden Griffins sit at 5-8 after using the friendly confines of the Koessler Athletic Center to take two matches, beating Saint Peter's and Rider in their first home weekend of the season.
• The Griffs dropped Saint Peter's, 3-1, on Sept. 22 before defeating Rider, 3-0, the following day for their first sweep of the 2018 campaign. The Blue and Gold are tied for second in the conference standings with a 3-1 record.
• The Griffs are led offensively by junior Leah Simmons. Simmons is pacing the Griffs with 143 kills (.243 hitting percentage). Simmons is backed up by senior Sara Wesley and her 111 kills (.226 hitting percentage).
• Freshman Camila Vazquez and Melina Woods continue to have stellar rookie years. Vazquez has recorded 109 kills at a team-leading .350 hitting clip while Woods has added in 105 kills of her own with a .241 hitting percentage.
• Junior Cassidy Ceriani has continued to hold down the setter role, notching 408 assists. Ceriani has also contributed offensively with 59 kills and defensively with 120 digs.
• Senior libero Sofia Lopez Acosta has tallied 260 digs, with two of her seven 20-dig matches coming over the weekend.
• Vazquez also leads the team with 40 total blocks.

Griffs Among Conference Leaders
• Canisius finds itself atop the MAAC leaders in hitting percentage (.221) and kills per set (12.98)
• The Blue and Gold are second in the conference in assists per set (11.79) and digs per set (16.12).
• Vazquez's .350 hitting percentage leads all qualified players and her 0.83 blocks per set is seventh-best in the conference.
• Lopez Acosta paces the MAAC with 5.42 digs per set.
• Ceriani is fifth with 8.50 assists per set while Simmons ranks fifth with 2.98 kills per set.

Quick Hits
• Ceriani has 2097 career assists, as the junior setter needs 234 more assists to pass Jackie Reed for fifth in career assists at Canisius.
• The 3-1 start in conference play for Canisius is the team's best since 2015.
• Simmons has recorded double-digit kills in four of the team's last five matches and has led the Griffs in kills in each contest during the current three-match winning streak.

Scouting the Gaels
• The Gaels are coming off a weekend that saw them split two matches in Connecticut, defeating Quinnipiac, 3-1, before losing to Fairfield, 3-1.
• The offense has been led by Claire Archibald and her 126 kills, and her 4.09 points per set paces the conference. Iona's main setter is Emma Rose with 351 assists and a 10.32 assists per set pace that leads the MAAC.
• On the defensive side, Jessica Paolucci leads the Gaels with 164 digs, averaging 4.82 per set, while Mia Bonsignore has 31 total blocks.
• The Gaels lead the MAAC with 12.44 assists per set, 1.97 blocks per set and 1.53 service aces per set. They also sport the lowest opponent assists per set (10.79) and opponent kills per set (11.32).

Canisius-Iona Series Notes
• Saturday's match will mark the 43th meeting between the two long-time MAAC schools in a series that dates back to 1991.
• The Gaels hold a 24-18 lead in the all-time series, with the Griffs having a 7-3 advantage in the last 10 matchups.
• Last season, the Blue and Gold swept Iona in New Rochelle before beating the Gaels in five sets at home.

Scouting the Jaspers
• Manhattan lost in three sets to both Fairfield and Quinnipiac, as the Jaspers are looking for their first victory of the season.
• The Jaspers have been powered by Erin Hoener's 60 kills. Shruti Mangipudi paces Manhattan with 168 assists.
• Defensively, Alyssa Rehrer has a team-best 184 digs while Hoener's 32 total blocks pace the team.

Canisius-Manhattan Series Notes
• Sunday's match will serve as the 45th matchup between the two MAAC foes in a series that began in 1989.
• The Griffs hold a 27-17 edge in the all-time series, with Canisius owning a 6-4 record in the past 10 matches.
• In 2017, the Griffs beat the Jaspers, 3-1, in Riverdale and then swept Manhattan at the Koessler Athletic Center.

Up Next
• Canisius returns home next weekend, hosting a pair of matches at the Koessler Athletic Center. The Griffs play Fairfield Oct. 6 and then face Quinnipiac Oct. 7. Both matches are set for 1 p.m. and the Sunday contest versus the Bobcats can be seen on ESPN3.

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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

#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