POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 19, 2017) – The Vassar College Women's Volleyball team will co-host the Liberty League's first round of Liberty League action, facing 2016 semi-final opponent, RIT, and league-newcomer Ithaca College this weekend. Both teams will take Bard College as well in their trip to the Hudson Valley.

Game Details
Opponent: Rochester Institute of Technology (6-4, 0-0 LL)  
Links: (RIT Home Page) (Schedule) (Roster) (Statistics)
Date: September 22, 2017
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
Opponent: Ithaca College (6-4, 0-0 LL)
Links: (Ithaca Home Page) (Schedule) (Roster) (Statistics)
Date: September 23, 2017
Time: 1 p.m.
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall
Game Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)
 
Last Time Out: The Brewers went 1-1 last weekend in Montclair, NJ. After beating Lehman in straight sets, VC fell to Montclair State University. The Brewers competed without sophomore threat, Jane McLeod, freshman defender Anna Zucchero, and senior setter Sophia Tiajoloff. The entire Brewer squad saw significant court time versus Lehman. Gallagher was strong yet again, averaging 3.8 kills/set, hitting .389 and averaging 3.8 digs/set, earning Liberty League Honor Roll this week.
 
A Look at The Brewers (8-3, 0-0 LL): 

• The Brewers enter the weekend hitting .252 as a team (on 13.20 kills/set), a league high.
• This 13.20 kills/set places the Brewers 24^th nationally in this category, while the squad's .252 hitting percentage ranks 15^th among DIII volleyball.
• Offensive gun, Devan Gallagher is posting nearly 5 (4.88) kills/set, which is currently fifth-highest in the country.
• Junior setter Annie MacMillan continues to spread the ball around, posting 10.94 assists/set, which ranks 9^th nationally.
• VC continues to rely heavily on their serving pressure, averaging 3.37 aces/set. MacMillan, McLeod, and Ninkovich all rank among the top 6 in the league with greater than .6 aces/set.
• As a squad, the team's 118 aces place them 13^th in the country in Total Service Aces.
• Sophomore middle Colette Cambey leads the team in blocking, adding .61 blocks/set and 20 total blocks to date. Fellow sophomore middle, Jennifer Kerbs adds .41 blocks/set (13 total blocks).
• Defensively, the squad has shared duties (16.29 digs/set), with seven Brewers averaging at least 1.8 digs/set.

 
A Look at the Tigers (6-4, 0-0 LL)

• RIT picks up eight freshmen this season after the departure of just two, rounding out a 16-woman roster.
• Most recently, the Tigers have picked up two victories against D'Youville College and Medaille College.
• Three freshman, Taylor Higgins, Kelly Fellner, and Paige Daly have seen significant time on the court to date.
• Freshman Taylor Higgins steps in on the pin after the departure of All-American, Sarah Szybist. Higgins leads the team in attempts (293), kills (109), and kills/set (3.11). The well-rounded player also adds 2.29 digs/set, second to senior captain libero Rebecca Bennett (2.66).
• Junior captain and outside, Sara Taylor adds another 2.85 kills/set. The middles, Kelly Fellner (1.09 kills/set) and Shelby Dohery (1.46 kills/set) add another 30+ kills to date.
• The Tigers are strong threat from the service line, averaging 2.5 aces/set led by setter Erin Parkinson.
• Prior to the trip downstate to take on Vassar and Bard, RIT plays St. John Fisher College tonight (9/19) at 6 p.m.

 
A Look at the Bombers (6-4, 0-0 LL)

• 2017 is Ithaca College's first year in the Liberty League.
• Ithaca began the season with a very strong schedule, facing teams such as #9 Colorado College, #13 Juniata College, and #22 Mary Washington.
• The squad took at least one set from each of these ranked opponents, beating Mary Washington in straight sets last weekend.
• The Bombers swept the Liberty League honors this week, senior hitter Joelle Goldstein dubbed Performer of the Week, while freshman middle Reagan Stone was named Rookie of the Week.
• Ithaca proves to be an offensively strong team, averaging 12.87 kills/set, holding opponents to under 15 digs/set. This 12.87 kills/set ranks 38^th among all division III institutions.
• The offense is led by Goldstein, posting 3.17 kills/set.
• The team's setters, Caitlyn Floyd and Delaney Runyon spread the ball around well, the team combining for 12.1 assists/set, with 6 hitters posting over 100 attempts to date.
• Cornering the defense is junior libero, Tara Stilwell, averaging 5.21 digs/set, second-best in the Liberty League.

 
Against the Opponents All-TIme: Facing RIT, VC is 11-18 all-time. Last season, the squads matched up three times, Vassar taking the latter two contests (with a 5-set victory in the league semi-finals). The Brewers are 1-7 historically against Ithaca, their only win in 2011; however, no current Brewer has yet faced the Bombers.  
 
Up Next: Vassar will travel to Stevens next Wednesday for a non-conference contest. The game will take place in Hoboken, NJ, September 27, at 7 p.m.