CU Volleyball Preview - vs. Ithaca/Scranton (10/27-28)

Ben Moeller

Women's Volleyball | 10/27/2023 10:18:00 AM

Although there are two matches this weekend for the Clarkson University Volleyball team, the key contest occurs on Friday evening, when the Golden Knights take on Ithaca College to decide which team gets home court advantage for the Liberty League Tournament.

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The Series: Clarkson has won 11 times in 40 matches against Ithaca, but the Green and Gold have been most successful in the postseason against the Bombers. That changed last season, when, after six straight victories in either the Liberty League Tournament or NCAA Tournament, Ithaca eked out a five-set victory against Clarkson. The Golden Knights will also face Scranton on Saturday, a team that they have gone 2-3 against since 2004, though only one of those matches, a Scranton win, has come in the past decade.

Key Stats for Clarkson (12-8, 6-1 Liberty League): The Golden Knights will likely continue to rely on their defense, both at the net and in the back row, in an attempt to unseat Ithaca from the top of the standings. Clarkson leads the Liberty League in digs per set (17.18) and has also seen an increase in its blocks recently, as the team now averages 1.51 blocks per game, the most for the team since 2018. Julia Bennett (0.79 bps), Tess Sorel (0.75 bps), Olivia Freer (0.69 bps), Natalie Peacock (0.55 bps), and Allyson Treichel (0.50 bps) all contribute at the net.

Key Stats for Ithaca (19-4, 7-0 Liberty League): Despite the departure of key pieces for the Bombers from last season's team, Ithaca hasn't skipped a beat in the conference. Freshman Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu leads the team with 3.59 kills per set, while Faith Sabatier is adding in 2.84 kills per set. Although Jamie Koopman is third on the team at 2.68 kills per game, her success rate is impressive, as she is hitting .393. Both Koopman and Ella Graper have posted more than 20 solo blocks this season.

Key Stats for Scranton (14-9, 8-1 Landmark): Scranton will take on both Clarkson and Ithaca on Saturday, and the team has lost just once in its conference to top-ranked and unbeaten Juniata. Three players are averaging better than 2.7 kills per set, led by Deanna Whelpley (3.47 kps). Like Clarkson, Scranton generally uses two setters in Cammi Quirk (6.06 assists per set) and Gianna Detorie (4.55 assists per set), while the defense is buoyed by Maddie Forry, who produced 5.43 digs per set.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Julia Bennett: MH; 6' 0"; Junior

#16 Olivia Freer: OH; 6' 0"; Junior

#8 Natalie Peacock: MH/RS; 5' 10"; Junior

#10 Allyson Treichel: MH; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#19 Tess Sorel: MH; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Julia Bennett
: 6' 0"; Junior
: MH

#16 Olivia Freer
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OH

#8 Natalie Peacock
: 5' 10"; Junior
: MH/RS

#10 Allyson Treichel
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: MH

#19 Tess Sorel
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: MH