POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 11, 2014) – The Vassar College women's volleyball team will again play host to the Seven Sister Invitational this Saturday and Sunday. The Brewers will welcome in Bryn Mawr, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Wellesley.
 
Tournament Website
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. Bryn Mawr (4-2)
Links: (Bryn Mawr Women's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: September 13, 2014
Time:  10 a.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
Opponent: vs. Smith (3-2)
Links: (Smith Women's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: September 13, 2014
Time:  12:30 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
Opponent: vs. Mount Holyoke (2-3)
Links: (Mount Holyoke Women's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: September 13, 2014
Time:  9 a.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
Opponent: vs. Wellesley (2-2)
Links: (Wellesley Women's Volleyball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: September 13, 2014
Time:  11:30 a.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
A Look at the Owls (4-2)
Bryn Mawr has started out the season strong, getting 3-set sweeps against Penn State Brandywine and Wesley. After dropping a close five-set match against Arcadia, the Owls bounced back by defeating visiting Delaware Valley and Bryn Athyn, winning both matches 3-0. On Tuesday, Bryn Mawr faced a tough Neumann squad, losing the match 3-0.
 
The Owls are led on offense by junior middle hitter Rachel Ofili, with 74 kills on a stellar .344 hitting percentage. Ofili is followed by junior middle hitter Sarah Gates and junior outside hitter Noemi Moreno, with 40 and 33 terminations, respectively. Senior setter Danielle Preziuso has dished out a team-high 165 assists. On the defensive end, Ofili leads the team with 19 total blocks, while sophomore defensive specialist Allie Nagelski paces the back row with 86 digs.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: OH – Noemi Moreno, MB – Rachel Ofili, MB – Sara Gates, MB – Avery Taylor, S – Danielle Preziuso, DS – Megan Kilmer
 
Against Bryn Mawr All-Time
Vassar is 17-1 all time against the Owls, dating back to 1988. The Brewers have not lost since 1999, where Bryn Mawr won in a five-set thriller. The teams' last meeting was on Oct. 13, 2013, where Vassar won 3-1.
 
A Look at the Pioneers (3-2)
Smith opened their season with a 3-1 win against Simmons. Then, the Pioneers traveled to Springfield, MA for the Western New England Invitational, where they swept Elms, before dropping matches to Western Connecticut State and Western New England, both in four sets. On Tuesday, Smith bounced back, with a 3-1 win over Lasell.
 
Offensively, junior outside hitter Mei-Li Smith paces the Pioneers with 46 kills. Smith is a versatile threat, ranking second on the team with 41 assists and 62 digs. Sophomores Allison Hardy and Lauren Shaffer follow with 22 and 21 kills, respectively. On the block, sophomore Jenna Rubin leads the team with 16 total blocks, including eight solo blocks. Freshman setter Dayra Diaz Marquez has contributed a team-high 60 assists, while sophomore libero Julie Voorhes leads the team with 70 digs.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: OH – Mei-Li Smith, MB – Lauren Shaffer, MB – Jenna Rubin, OPP – Allison Hardy, S – Dayra Diaz Marquez, DS – Samantha Danquilan
 
Against Smith All-Time
Vassar leads the series 12-11, dating back to 1988. The two teams last met on Oct. 12, 2013, with Smith defeating the Brewers 3-0. Prior to that meeting, Vassar had won the previous four contests, three times sweeping the Pioneers.
 
A Look at the Lyons (2-3)
The Lyons come into the weekend off of a win against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Tuesday, winning in three games. Over the last four matches, the Lyons have alternated losses and wins, picking up a win against St. Joseph University in four sets. The win against SJU was sandwiched by losses to Bridgewater State and Norwich University. Mount Holyoke was 11-17 in 2013.
 
MHC is led by senior Kaleen Iwena, who posted her 1,000^th career dig Tuesday evening against MCLA. Iwena became the first player for Mount Holyoke ever to record 1,000 digs and is now also the all-time career leader with 1,008 for her tenure. Junior outside hitter Emma Sweeting has a team-best 85 kills, nearly 60 more than the next closest of 27 by Iwena. Rebecca Bland leads the team in hitting percentage with a .305 clip, and Natalie Lyon has a team-best 129 assists on the season. Five players for MHC have over 30 digs, led by the 58 from Iwema and the 47 from both Sweeting and Lyon.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: MB – Rebecca Bland, MH – Hannah Laytner, S – Natalie Lyon, OH – Katrina Meserve, OH – Emma Sweeting, DS – Kaleen Iwema.
 
Against Mount Holyoke All-Time
The Brewers hold a commanding lead over Mount Holyoke in the all-time series dating back to 1989, as Vassar has earned 14 of the 17 match-ups between the two teams. VC is currently riding a seven-match win streak over the Lyons, having not dropped a set since 2003.
 
A Look at the Blue (2-2)
Wellesley has played a difficult schedule thus far this season, splitting the four games on the 2014 slate. The Blue are fresh off a straight set win over the Judges of Brandeis University, as senior standout Sydney Carfagno posted 15 kills and 11 digs on the evening. The Blue attacked at a very strong rate of .269, while holding Brandeis to just four service aces on the night. Wellesley won the 2013 Seven Sisters Tournament en route to an amazing 28-7 record, making the NCAA Tournament after earning an at-large bid following a five set loss to Springfield College in the NEWMAC finals.
 
The reigning Seven Sisters Tournament MVP, Carfagno has picked up right where she left off last year. The senior leads the team in kills with 43, posting a team-leading 53 digs as well. Fellow outside hitter Courtney Lang has been the more efficient player though, posting a .327 hitting percentage while racking up 40 terminations. Sophomore Brooke Fieldman and Caitlin Laughlin supplement the offense for WC, while Maddie Koh is averaging 8.43 assists per set as a sophomore.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: OH - Brooke Fieldman, MH - Caitlin Laughlin, OH - Sydney Carfagno, MH - Lindsey Menichella, OH - Courtney Lang, S - Maddie Koh.
 
Against Wellesley All-Time
The Blue have had the upper hand during the series against Vassar, posting a 13-4 record against the Brewers since 1989. The two teams have alternated wins over the last five outings, as WC knocked off Vassar in three last year.
 
Closing In
Junior libero Chloe Hallum (Baltimore, MD/Olympia) has been a constant for the Brewers over the last two plus season in the back. Hallum is currently seventh all-time in digs, and is just 45 digs behind the sixth spot and McKenzie Johnson and her 1,224 career digs. Hallum is on pace to get as high as two on the list this season.
 
At The Finish
The Brewers are currently sixth in the Liberty League in kills per set, and rank fifth in attacking percentage (.124).
 
Ace Up Your Sleeve
The Brewers have posted 72 aces this season so far, which is 10 more than its opposition. VC has posted 12 or more service aces in three matches this year.
Third Set Magic
Vassar College has been at its toughest in the third set this season, winning five of the seven third sets it has played in 2014.
 
Racking Them Up
Senior Taylor Mosley (Rowlett, TX/Parish Episcopal Academy) is averaging more than 10 kills per match in 2014, leading the team with 2.37 terminations per set.
 
Freshmen Finds
The freshmen pairing of Alex Sams (Los Angeles, CA/Beverly Hills) and Sophia Tiajoloff (Kinnelon, PA/Kinnelon) each have played a big role early. Tiajoloff has played all 30 sets, while Sams has started all seven matches for VC.
 
Up Next
The Brewers break into Liberty League play next Friday evening at Bard College, taking on the host Raptors and St. Lawrence University in action in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.