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Kara Zaucha get ready for a point vs Iona.
Sam Hughes
1
Iona Iona 11-21,8-10 MAAC
3
Winner Canisius Canis 17-13,12-6 MAAC
Iona Iona
11-21,8-10 MAAC
1
Final
3
Canisius Canis
17-13,12-6 MAAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Iona Iona 24 25 23 17 (1)
Canisius Canis 26 22 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Dances into MAAC Semifinals with Win Over Iona

Senior Kara Zaucha tallied a career-high 22 kills to lead No. 4 seed Canisius to a 3-1 (26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17) win over No. 8 seed Iona in second-round action in the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Volleyball Championship at the UHY Center Friday in Loudonville, N.Y. 
 
The Golden Griffins (17-13) advanced to the semifinals, where they will face regular-season champion and top seed Fairfield Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Graduate student Sofia Hedqvist joined Zaucha in double figures with a career-high 18 kills for Canisius while junior teammate Ella Bourque dished out 39 assists. Senior Jillian Hanna notched a team-high 23 digs on the defensive end.
 
For Iona, Mija Jegers led the Gaels with 14 kills and four aces. Teammate Emma Vu dished out 34 assists in the season-ending effort.
 
Canisius topped the Gaels by a 26-24 margin in the opening set. The Griffs jumped out to a 9-4 lead, before Iona stormed back to take the lead, forcing match point, 24-23. Canisius grabbed the next three points to close the door.
 
In the second set, Iona used a 5-1 run to take a 19-15 advantage en route to the 25-22 victory.
 
Trailing 13-10 to start off the third set, the Griffs responded by taking five straight points to build a 20-16 advantage. The Griffs forced set point at 24-20 but a 3-0 run from the Gaels narrowed the lead to just one before Zaucha hammered home a kill to secure the 25-23 and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Canisius used a 12-1 run to glide their way to a 25-17 victory in the fourth set. Iona responded with five straight points to lessen the margin, however, with the Griffs forcing match point, Bourque called match, recording a kill to give the Griffs a 25-17 triumph and the match.
 
HEAD COACH TOM HANNA POST MATCH QUOTE
"Once again our flexibility and resiliency came through again. I'm looking forward to returning to action tomorrow."

MATCH NOTES
• The Griffs recorded their third victory over the Gaels this season, closing the gap in the all-time series to 27-31 with their three wins.
• Zaucha's 22 kills and 10 digs was good for her 10th double-double of the season. The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio native has the most double-doubles this season of anyone on the team.
• Friday's win marked the first postseason victory of head coach Tom Hanna's Canisius career. Hanna holds a 1-1 record in postseason play during his time on Main Street.
 
UP NEXT
Canisius moves onto the semifinal round to face top-seed Fairfield. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday at the UHY Center. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased here. The match will also be streamed on ESPN+. 
 
SUPPORT CANISIUS VOLLEYBALL
Support the Canisius volleyball team in conjunction with the "More Than A Game" campaign. Your donation to the volleyball program helps our student-athletes continue to be champions in the community, in the classroom and in competition. To donate, CLICK HERE.

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