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Canisius University Athletics

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Ella Loussia Spikes the Ball Against Siena
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Quinnipiac QU 3-5,3-5 MAAC
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Winner Canisius Canis 8-3,8-3 MAAC
Quinnipiac QU
3-5,3-5 MAAC
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Final
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Canisius Canis
8-3,8-3 MAAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Quinnipiac QU 25 15 20 14 (1)
Canisius Canis 22 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Beats Quinnipiac to Advance to MAAC Semifinals

The Canisius volleyball defeated Quinnipiac in its quarterfinal matchup at the MAAC Volleyball Championship Thursday afternoon at the Albany Capital Center in Albany, N.Y. 

The Golden Griffins dropped the first set to the Bobcats, but took control of the match through the next three sets, posting a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-14). 

Match Recap
After a back-and-forth start to the match with the score knotted at 7-7, Canisius used an 8-3 run to take a 15-10 lead into the media timeout. That scoring run featured two kills each from Rachel Kinney and Hannah Nelson. Following the break, Quinnipiac used four-consecutive points to trim the Griffs' lead to one point at 15-14. In the later half of the frame, the Bobcats scored seven of the final eight points, capped by a Georgia Tselepi kill, to take the first set by the score of 25-22. 

In the second set, the Blue and Gold maintained control early, forcing a Quinnipiac timeout with the Griffs in the lead at 13-8. Following an attack error by Canisius that trimmed their lead to 21-15, the Griffs would go on to score four-straight points, which included a kill each by Giulia La Longa and Nelson, as Canisius claimed the second set 25-15, and tie the match at 1-1. 

The third set featured much of the back-and-forth style of play from the first frame. After trading points into the media timeout, Canisius trailed Quinnipiac by a slim one-point margin, 15-14. Late in the set Quinnipiac would score their final point of the frame from a kill from Aryanah Diaz, to pull within one of the Blue and Gold. Canisius claimed the final four points of the set, behind a pair of kills by Kinney, to take the third set 25-20. 

Quinnipiac started out the fourth set leading 8-7 before five-straight Canisius points would force the Bobcats to call timeout with the Blue and Gold ahead 12-8. Coming out of the break, the Griffs continued to control the set taking six of the next eight points, capped off by an Ashley Kekeisen service ace, forcing Quinnipiac to use their final timeout of the frame in an attempt to halt the Canisius surge. Leading 21-14 in the set, the Griffs took the final four points of the day to defeat Quinnipiac in four sets and advance to Friday's MAAC Championship semifinal. 

Canisius' attack was led on the day by Nelson's 14 kills as the Golden Griffins hit .245 (59-20-159) as a team. Ella Loussia and Camila Vazquez also posted double-digit kills with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. 

Kekeisen posted a career-high 33 assists in the victory for Canisius, while junior Callie Chamulak also posted double-digit assists with 19 helpers. 

Sophomore Bree Long led the match with a career-high 38 digs for the Griffs. Kekeisen, Kinney, and Nelson would also contribute with double-digit digs with 14, 13, and 11 digs. 

Quinnipiac was paced by Maggie Baker's 16 kills as the Bobcats were held to .087 (44-29-172) on the attack for the contest. Baker and Daniella Balsano both had 18 digs in the losing effort. 

Head Coach Shannon Thompson's Comments
"I thought we came out and played strong the entire day. We did a great job of playing our game. I thought there were a few jitters early, but the girls settled down and were poised." 

"I think having a balanced offense makes us hard to defend because at any point we can set someone and they can score." 

"We are going to watch the match and prepare for whoever we play just like we have all year. We are going to get some rest and recover, so we are ready to play tomorrow afternoon." 

Match Notes 
• The win for Canisius extends their all-time series lead over Quinnipiac to 16-6. Canisius also now has the postseason series advantage over the Bobcats, 2-1. 
• Canisius improves to 7-0 on the season when out-hitting its opponents. 
• Kekeisens 33 assists mark her second-straight contest with 30-plus helpers. 
• Prior to Thursday's match, Long's career high for digs in a match was 37, set against Quinnipiac in the 2019 MAAC Championship semifinal round. 
• The win moves the Griffs into the MAAC Championship semifinal round for the third consecutive season. 
• Head Coach Shannon Thompson is the first first-year coach in program history to win a MAAC Championship game. 

Up Next
The Griffs will return to action Friday at 4 p.m., when the team meets long-time rival Niagara in the MAAC Volleyball Championship round. That match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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