POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 7, 2014) – The Vassar College women's volleyball team will travel to Hoboken, New Jersey to take on Stevens this Wednesday. The teams will face off at 7 p.m. in Canavan Arena on the campus of Stevens. 
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Stevens (17-3, 5-0 Empire 8)
Links: (Stevens Women's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Hoboken, NJ
Facility:  Canavan Arena
Date: October 8, 2014
Time:  7 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
What to Watch for
The Brewers will look to bounce back from this past weekend, where, after defeating Skidmore 3-1, they were swept by Clarkson, Union, and St. Lawrence. Vassar currently sits at fifth in the Liberty League at 3-5, one position out of a playoff berth, but they do have a win against St. Lawrence, who has only otherwise lost to Clarkson. The Brewers are looking to build back some momentum, with the all-important third and final Liberty League weekend coming up in less than two weeks.
 
A Look at the Ducks (17-3, 5-0 Empire 8)
Stevens has had a very strong season thus far. The Ducks have only lost to Salisbury, Amherst, and SUNY New Paltz, and are currently on a nine-match winning streak. Since the New Paltz defeat, Stevens has lost only five sets, defeating conference foes Elmira and Houghton, before going 4-0 at the Stevens Invitational. This past weekend, the Ducks defeated conference opponents St. John Fisher 3-1, and Alfred 3-0.
 
The Ducks have an efficient offense, averaging 12.2 kills per set and hitting .236, while holding their opponents to just 8.8 kills per set and a .122 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside Mary Tobin leads Stevens with 232 total kills, while hitting .262. Tobin is followed by opposite Christina Sciarra and outside Brianna Evans, with 168 and 166 kills, respectively. Senior setter Ashley Castillo runs the Ducks' offense, dishing out 607 assists on the season. On defense, junior Annemarie Thomas paces the team with 52 total blocks, while freshman Sydni Horner leads the team with 349 total digs.
 
Possible Starting Lineup: OH – Mary Tobin, OH – Brianna Evans, OH – Annemarie Thomas, MB – Katie Hall, OPP – Christina Sciarra, S – Ashley Castillo, L – Sydni Horner
 
Against Stevens All-Time
Stevens currently leads the series 12-6, dating back to 2003. The longest winning streak in the series was when Stevens won 10 consecutive matches between 2005 and 2010. In their two meetings last year, Stevens won both, defeating the Brewers 3-0 on Sept. 6, and 3-1 on Oct. 16. Vassar's last victory came on Oct. 3, 2012, where they won 3-0.
 
Freshman Phenom
Freshman setter Sophia Tiajoloff (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) had a standout game against Skidmore on Friday, posting a huge double-double with 41 assists and 14 digs. Tiajoloff is currently ranked third in the Liberty League with 7.38 assists per set.
 
Mosley Dominates
Senior hitter Taylor Mosley (Rowlett, TX/Parish Episcopal) tied her season-high with 16 kills on a .237 hitting percentage against Skidmore this past weekend. Mosley is currently ranked sixth in the league with 2.69 kills per set.
 
Keep It Going
Junior libero Chloe Hallum (Olympia, WA/Olympia) continued her strong play, registering double-digit digs in three of the Brewers' four matches over the weekend. Hallum is currently third in the Liberty League with 4.54 digs per set.
 
One Is Enough
Vassar set a season-high with 20 services aces against Skidmore on Friday, with Hallum registering a season-high five aces, and Tiajoloff and sophomore hitter Gabby Miller (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) contributed four apiece. Vassar currently leads the Liberty League with 185 aces, averaging 2.57 per set.
 
Serving For Success
Mosley and Tiajoloff have had strong serving seasons thus far. Mosley is averaging 0.56 aces per set, and Tiajoloff is averaging 0.51 per set, ranking third and fourth in the league, respectively.
 
Pitre The Rejecter
Senior hitter Marie Pitre (San Dimas, CA/St. Lucy's Priory) had a season-high five total blocks against Clarkson. On the season, Pitre now is second on the team with 31 total blocks, and the Brewers currently rank third in the Liberty League with 1.39 blocks per set.
 
Up Next
Vassar will travel to Springfield, MA this weekend for non-conference action in the Tin Hay Invitational, hosted by Springfield College. The Brewers will take on Westfield State Friday night, before battling the host Pride and Smith College Saturday afternoon.