Poughkeepsie, NY – The Vassar College Women's Volleyball team begins the 2024 season under new Head Coach Grace Campbell with three matches at Montclair State this weekend as the Brewers will square off with the host Red Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday before taking on UMass Dartmouth at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday followed by FDU-Florham at 3:00 p.m. Vassar was selected fourth in the 2024 Liberty League Preseason Poll that was released on Wednesday morning.
 
QUICK GLANCE

• Vassar closed out the 2023 season with a 17-10 overall record and a 6-2 mark against Liberty League foes.
• The Brewers earned a berth into the Liberty League Championship as the fourth seed and defeated fifth-seeded Skidmore in four sets to advance to the Liberty League semifinal for the first time since 2018.
• The Brewers return its two All-League selections from a season ago as sophomore Holland Kaplan earned First Team honors along with classmate Maura McAusland being selected to the Second Team.
• Off the field, Vassar saw senior Julia Hale earn College Sport Communicators All-District honors while 10 Brewers were named to the Liberty League All-Academic team.

STAT LEADERS

• Kaplan returns as the team's leader in kills with 305 along with digs with 201 and was third on the squad in service aces with 32.
• McAusland finished second on the team in winners with 277 and led the team in aces with 45 along with being tied for fourth in blocks with 30.
• Hale led the charge in total blocks with 67 and recorded the third highest amount of kills with 130.
• Sophomore T Petro totaled 37 aces, good for second on the team, and also had third highest dig total with 165.
• Junior Ellie Kogan lifted 195 digs, second most on the squad, while senior Frannie Anthony-Brumfield finished third on the team in blocks with 41.
• Junior Molly Ardren returns as the team's leading setter with 226 assists.

NEWCOMERS

• Two-sport first year Erin Lovett joins the Brewers in the middle while sophomore Francesca Medrano will add to the setting group in 2024.

HEAD COACH

• Campbell begins her first season at the helm of the Brewers after a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Smith College.
• Campbell helped the Pioneers to three straight NEWMAC postseason appearances from 2021-23 and was part of the NEWMAC Coaching Staff of the Year in 2021.

PRESEASON POLL

1. Ithaca, 63 (7)
2. William Smith, 55 (2)
3. Clarkson, 50
4. Vassar, 38
5. Skidmore, 33
6. RIT, 31
7. Union, 30
8. St. Lawrence, 16
9. Bard, 8

SCHEDULE

• Following the opening three matches at Montclair State, Vassar will host six total matches on September 6 and 7 as the Brewers will take on SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Morrisville and Wheaton (Mass.).
• Vassar will hit the road with back-to-back tri-matches with the Brewers heading to Muhlenberg for a matchup with Stevens and the Mules on September 14th followed by matches against Arcadia and William Paterson on September 21.
• The Brewers will return to Kenyon Hall for a non-conference matchup with Williams on September 25th before opening the Liberty League slate against Clarkson at home on October 4.
• Vassar will square off with road conference foes William Smith (Oct. 11), Ithaca (Oct. 12) and Union (Oct. 19) before finishing the road trip with SUNY Cobleskill on October 19.
• VC will then play host to Liberty League rivals St. Lawrence and Skidmore on October 25 and 26 before taking on Bard on October 30.
• The Brewers will close conference play on November 2 against RIT before ending the regular season with local foe New Paltz and the final home tri-match of the season against Merchant Marine and Utica on November 9.
• The Liberty League Championship will begin on November 12 with First Round action followed by the semifinals on November 15 and the final on November 16.