Volleyball Opens Home Slate with Saint Peter’s and Rider

MATCH #16
Saint Peter's (3-12, 1-3 MAAC) at Canisius (6-9, 3-0 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+

MATCH #17
Rider (6-10, 3-1 MAAC) at Canisius
Date: Sunday, Oct. 6
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Video: ESPN+

Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Location: Koessler Athletic Center (Buffalo, N.Y.)

The Canisius volleyball team returns to the Koessler Athletic Center this weekend, as the Golden Griffins host conference foes Saint Peter's and Rider. The Griffs welcome the Peacocks on Saturday for the 2019 home opener before facing the Broncs on Sunday in a rematch of last year's MAAC Championship semifinal.

Scouting Canisius
• The Blue and Gold are coming off a 3-0 week which saw the team open conference action with a win at rival Niagara before rolling through New York City for a pair of wins over Iona and Manhattan, including a Sunday sweep of the Jaspers.
• Senior Leah Simmons went off for 47 kills over the three matches, including 17 against the Purple Eagles, as the middle hitter is now nearing 200 kills on the season (176 total). The senior's 3.09 kills per set also ranks third in the MAAC.
• Senior Cassidy Ceriani and sophomore Hannah Nelson both recorded double-doubles in all three contests last week, as Ceriani now has 10 on the season and Nelson has five. With half of the season completed, Ceriani already has 508 assists and 200 digs, while Nelson paces the squad with 18 service aces.
• All three freshmen continue to make an impact, with Bree Long and Camille Vanleer leading the team with 237 digs and 39 total blocks, respectively. Fellow rookie Ella Loussia has also heated up, tallying 34 of her 61 kills and six of her eight aces over the team's past four matches.
• Canisius paces the conference with a .197 team hitting percentage and 16.16 digs per set.

Scouting the Opponents
• Saint Peter's, under interim head coach Joe Chojnacki, enters Saturday on a four-match slide after winning their conference opener at Manhattan, including back-to-back losses to Marist and Siena at home.
• 2018 MAAC All-Rookie Team selection Alanis Alvarado has become the focal point for the Saint Peter's offense with 144 kills while fellow returnee Angeleyshka Curbelo has notched 117 kills. Karla Seda leads the conference with 5.08 digs per set, totaling 249 digs to go with a team-leading 13 aces, and Wildalys Soto has controled the attack with 316 assists.
• After taking down Iona and Manhattan two weekends ago, Rider split last weekend by defeating Siena and losing in five sets to Marist.
• The Broncs are being powered by the five-time defending MAAC Rookie of the Week Morgan Romano, as the freshman has posted a MAAC-best 273 kills (4.55 per set) on top of 133 digs and 17 aces. Ali Ward follows behind with 108 kills, while setter Anilee Sher has aided with 485 total assists this season to go with 27 aces. Rachelle Runyon, winner of three Libero of the Week awards, has registered 281 digs to rank second in the league at 4.68 digs per set.

Series History
• Through 47 meetings between Canisius and Saint Peter's, the Griffs hold a 33-14 record over the Peacocks.
• The Blue and Gold and Saint Peter's split both contests last season, as the Griffs earned a 3-1 victory in last year's home opener on Sept. 23, while the Peacocks returned the favor with a four-set win in Jersey City on Oct. 14. Simmons tallied 28 kills over the two matches while then-freshman Camila Vazquez posted 21 kills.
• Canisius and Rider will meet for the 39th time on Sunday, as the Griffs enter the match with a 28-10 edge all-time against the Broncs.
• The Griffs defeated the Broncs in all three meetings in 2018, including a pair of sweeps in the regular season. Canisius also clinched its first MAAC Championship match appearance with 3-1 semifinal win over Rider, as Simmons dominated that contest with 17 kills. Ceriani posted 117 assists in the three wins against Rider, while current Canisius assistant coach Sofia Lopez Acosta totaled 70 digs over the three meetings.

Up Next
The Golden Griffins go back on the road for two weeks, beginning the road stretch at Marist and Siena on Oct. 12-13 before visiting Quinnipiac and Fairfield the following weekend. Both the Marist and Siena matches will be 1 p.m. start times.

Follow the Griffs
For complete coverage of Canisius volleyball, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffVolleyball (Instagram) and @GriffVolleyball (Twitter).

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

#4 Bree Long: L; 5' 5"; Freshman

#15 Camille Vanleer: MH; 6' 0"; Freshman

#2 Ella Loussia: OH; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

#4 Bree Long
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: L

#15 Camille Vanleer
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH

#2 Ella Loussia
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: OH