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Clarkson University Athletics

LLSemisFinalsVB2022

Women's Volleyball

CU Volleyball Preview - vs. Union/Liberty League Tournament (11/4-5)

In the Liberty League Tournament for the 11th straight year, the Clarkson University Volleyball team is seeking its ninth tournament title and third straight when the Golden Knights head to Ithaca College this weekend.

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The Golden Knights semifinal opponent is sixth-seeded Union College, which upset the third-seed William Smith on Tuesday in five sets. Clarkson takes on the Dutchwomen at 4:00 pm on Friday, while host Ithaca will face fourth-seeded RIT, which beat Vassar in three sets in the Liberty League First Round. Ithaca and Clarkson had the top two seeds and therefore received first round byes.

The Series: The first time around this year, Clarkson handled Union in three sets, though the Dutchwomen were without first-year phenom Shannon McGrath. The Golden Knights also won in four sets against RIT, but lost to Ithaca College in three to close out the regular season.

Key Stats for #2 Clarkson (15-10, 7-1 Liberty League): Clarkson has saved its best serving for the Liberty League, allowing conference opponents a serve receive number of just .848. The Golden Knights' top hitters have also increased their hitting percentages in league play, as Allyson Treichel, Sara Galante, and Kristin Werdine each have better numbers on offense in the Liberty League. Overall, Treichel ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage at .292 and is eighth in kills per set (2.61), while Kristin Werdine is fifth with 3.04 kills per set. Galante also chips in 2.48 kills per set, 11th in the league.  Clarkson has three players with 35-plus aces, including Kristin Werdine (50), Isabelle Crow (46), and Emma Baxter (38). Crow is averaging better than an ace per set (1.04) in league matches.

Key Stats for #6 Union (13-14, 2-6 Liberty League): After missing a month, freshman Shannon McGrath is back leading the Dutchwomen's offense with 3.54 kills per set and hitting .213 overall. She also has 46 aces, with 0.61 per set. Since coming back for the final weekend of the regular season, McGrath has posted 67 kills in just 16 sets (4.19 kps). McGrath leads the team with 46 aces, but is just part of a strong serving Union team, as Haley Kresch (43 aces), Georgia Poole (42 aces), and Brooke Fleming (32 aces) all contribute from the back line. Kresch and Fleming also split setting duties, combining for 8.75 assists per set.

Key Stats for #1 Ithaca (22-4, 8-0 Liberty League): The Bombers have been in the Liberty League since 2017 and have achieved the first or second seed each season, but are still looking for their first conference postseason title. Clarkson has been responsible for eliminating Ithaca all four times, either in the semifinals or in the championship match. The Bombers will look to end that run this year with a strong defensive effort at the net and in the back row. Ithaca holds teams to just a .126 hitting percentage thanks to 207 total blocks and Julia Costa's 4.25 digs per set. Aleka Darko has 0.90 blocks per set, including 39 solo blocks, twice as many as any other player in the conference save for teammate Leila Chipepo.

Key Stats for #4 RIT (16-16, 5-3 Liberty League): Like Union, the Tigers have been without a key part of their team for a long stretch, as middle Cat Vento is back after missing three weeks. Vento averages 0.86 blocks per set and has the top hitting percentage in the conference at .327. Liv Benard is another important piece for RIT, as she averages 3.66 kills per set and leads the conference in total kills (425) by a wide margin. Besides Vento, Calista Gasper (0.72 bps) and Grace Phelan (0.71 bps) are forces at the net. RIT's biggest spot for improvement is on serve receive, as the team allows opponents 2.68 aces per set and has a serve receive number of just .856.




 
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