WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Off to its best start to the season since a 6-0 start to the 2022 campaign, the West Chester University women's volleyball team (4-0) will look to improve to five and perhaps 7-0 this weekend with three matches between Friday and Saturday. On Friday, West Chester will venture to New York to take on Molloy (4-1) before heading to Delaware on Saturday for a tri-match with Goldey Beacom (2-3) and St. Thomas Aquinas (1-2) at Goldey Beacom.
WEST CHESTER AT MOLLOY
Match Details: September 12 I 6 P.M.
Location: Rockville Center, N.Y.
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West Chester at Goldey-Beacom/vs St. Thomas Aquinas (STAC)
Match Details: September 13 I 11 A.M./1 P.M.
Location: Wilmington, Del.
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Last Time Out
West Chester improved to 4-0 on Wednesday night with a 3-0 victory over Chestnut Hill, holding off the Griffins for a 25-21 first set victory before winning the second set 25-18 and the third 25-22.
Abiah Lane (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) was tremendous in the victory, registering 12 kills and a pair of blocks, along with
Zoe Haines (York, Pa./York Suburban) (11 kills), who was one of two Golden Rams with double-digit kills.
Lacie Brown (Cochranville, Pa./Avon Grove) tied for the team lead in aces with two while also leading the team in assists with 30 and turning in 10 digs to finish the match with a double-double.
Anna Richardson (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) led the team in digs with 12.
West Chester hit .247 in the victory, including a .323 (15-5-31) effort in the third set, while Chestnut Hill hit just .185 after hitting .345 (14-4-29) in the opening set.
Flock Talk
Lane and Haines remain first and second on the team in kills with 35 and 33, while Brown leads the team in assists with 109 through the first four matches of the season. Lane also continues to lead the Golden Rams in aces with eight, while Haines leads the team in blocks with 10.
Elianna Freeman (Jersey Village, Tx./Jersey Village), who is in her rookie season as a Golden Ram, leads the team in digs with 43, while Brown is second with 38.
As a team, West Chester is hitting .258 through the first four matches of the season, while its opponents hit just .077. The Golden Rams are also averaging 2.8 aces per set, while limiting opponents to just 2.1 per set.
Scouting Molloy
Molloy looks to be the Golden Rams most difficult test of the weekend as the Lions enter play at 4-1 on the year with their lone loss being a 3-0 setback at the hands of No. 19 Gannon at home on September 6. Molloy has won this year over Belmont Abbey, Wilmington, Assumption, and Bridgeport, dropping just two sets in the process of those four victories.
Erin Stanley leads the team in kills with 46, while Haven Trechter is a close second with 44 kills of her own. Stanley also leads the team in blocks with 13, while Julia Zalta leads the team in assists (105) and aces (11). Aria Miller leads the squad in digs with 91, while Trechter is second with 40.
Scouting Goldey Beacom
Goldey-Beacom enters play 2-3 on the year with victories over Roberts Wesleyan and Millersville against losses at the hands of Clarion, Shippensburg, and Seton Hill. Most recently, Goldey-Beacom posted a 3-1 win at Millersville on Wednesday night, halting a two-match losing streak after dropping a pair of games on Saturday against Seton Hill and Shippensburg.
Kelci Gingras leads the team in kills with 36, while Cassie Hall is second with 30. Julianna Malena is first on the team in assists with 76, while Ada Koksal is second in assists with 51 and first in aces with five. Gabby Fernandez once again leads the team in digs with 93, while Gingras is second with 31. Baylee Brin leads the team in blocks with seven, followed by Gracie Hoban and Kloe Waymel with five each.
Scouting STAC
West Chester will conclude its weekend against St. Thomas Aquinas (STAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans enter the weekend 1-2 on the year after dropping matches against Southern Connecticut State and Jefferson over the weekend before defeating Felician in five sets on Wednesday night for their first win of the season.
Natassia Romanoff leads STAC in kills with 31, averaging 2.38 per set, while Boglarka Kiss is first on the team in digs and aces with 39 and 10. Anna Gazzerro remains STAC's leader in assists with 78 on the year.
Series History
West Chester will face Molloy for the first time in program history on Friday night in New York before renewing rivalries with Goldey Beacom and STAC on Saturday. Against Goldey-Beacom, West Chester is 19-0 against the Lightning since 2007. The Golden Rams are 1-0 in their only meeting against STAC, which came in a tri-match at Felician a year ago.
Looking Ahead
West Chester will head to Bowie State next Tuesday night before returning home to host Caldwell on Friday, September 19, ahead of the PSAC East opener on Wednesday, September 24, vs Millersville at 7 p.m.
