This week: Notre Dame College volleyball starts their 2021 campaign in Lock Haven, Pa. for the Lock Haven Invitational this weekend, before traveling to Buffalo, N.Y. to face D'Youville College on Monday, Sept. 6. While in Lock Haven, NDC will face Slippery Rock and Roberts Wesleyan on Friday Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and then will play Malone and Lock Haven University on Saturday Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
 
Records: NDC and the five teams they will face this weekend will all see their first 2021 action this weekend and thus enter the competition with a clean 0-0 record. In a COVID-19 shortened season, NDC finished 4-7 in the Spring of 2021. Roberts Wesleyan, Malone and D'Youville were in similar boats as NDC with a shortened spring season. Roberts Wesleyan finished 2-2, Malone gathered 11 total games and finished 2-9, while D'Youville went winless in four contests. For Slippery Rock and Lock Haven, as members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, they had their seasons canceled entirely.
 
Coaches Corner: Hannah Watson and Anthony Mezacapa enter their first season as co-head coaches at the helm of NDC volleyball. Last season, Watson was the Falcon's graduate assistant coach, while Mezacapa was an assistant coach. Slippery Rock's Laurie Lokash is entering her 38^th season at the helm of their volleyball program. Lokash enters the season with 643 career wins and ranks first in PSAC history and 22^nd all-time in NCAA Division II. Roberts Wesleyan's head coach is Doug Porterfield. Malone named Rafael Gonzalez as its interim head coach this summer after spending 18 seasons on the staff as an assistant. Eric Buggs enters his second full season with Lock Haven and has a 6-23 record. Kyle Shanley is in his second season at the helm of D'Youville volleyball, and his fourth season overall with the program.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 1-1 against Slippery Rock all-time since 2017. NDC defeated Roberts Wesleyan and Lock Haven the lone time the Falcons played both schools, back in 2017. Notre Dame is 2-4 all-time against Malone dating back to 2011. This will be the first meeting all-time between Notre Dame College and D'Youville College.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last season bright spots included, McKenzie Andrix who was tenth in the MEC in assists per set with 5.47. Amelia Kaeberlein ranked tied for second in the MEC in digs per set with 6.02. Kaye Dregalla, the 2019 All-Freshman Team selection, will be the top returner in kills for NDC with 107 from a year ago. Looking back to the last full season in 2019, NDC was an impressive 23-12, including 9-7 in the MEC. Key contributors to that season will seek to build on the excellent campaign. Those contributors were the aforementioned Dregalla who registered 330 kills which was second on the team. Blaire Barr and Katie Richardson added 231 and 209 kills, ranking third and fourth on the team respectfully. Richardson also added some flavor with her serve by adding the second most service aces on the team with 36. NDC saw their kills per set at 13.0 in 2019, while their opponents were 11.7. Notre Dame added 228 service aces or 1.8 per set, while the opponent only capitalized with 154 aces or 1.2 per set. The Falcons did meet their match at the net with their opponents totaling 214 blocks to NDC's 204. It was a spectacular nonetheless, and important one for NDC volleyball, a season in which Watson and Mezacapa seek to build upon.
 
Noting the Rock: As a member of the PSAC, Slippery Rock had their 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19. Dating back to the 2019 season, the Rock finished 7-23, including 2-16 in the PSAC. They enter the weekend seeking their first official competition in two years, as they unfortunately ride a 16-game losing streak into the contest. Slippery Rock last won on Oct. 4, 2019 against Lock Haven 3-0. During the season, the Rock had 10.9 kills per set to their opponent's 13.1. In addition, they had 10.4 assists per set to the opposition's 12.3 assists per set. Their team digs totaled 18.1 per set to the other team's 18.7. The Rock did however use their height to an advantage with 193 total blocks on the season to the opponents 166.5.
 
Noting the Redhawks: In a shortened 2020 season the Redhawks finished 2-2. Dating back to 2019, Roberts Wesleyan had a record of 2-22, including 2-8 in the ECC. The Redhawks concluded a tough 2019 season with back-to-back 3-0 losses to Bridgeport and Daeman. Roberts Wesleyan recorded 670 kills or 8.2 per set, while their opponents recorded 902 or 11.0 per set. Their total assists fell short of their opponents with 7.1 assists per set to the oppositions 9.8. The Redhawks were able to dig more balls than their competition with 14.1 digs per set to their opponents 12.8.
 
Noting the Pioneers: In a shortened 2020 season the Pioneers went 2-9 last season and they finished off the season on a four-game skid. However, the Pioneers efforts were noticed with Anna Mallette and Brooklyn Sullivan being named All-Conference Third Team. Looking back to the last full season in 2019, Malone went 10-22, including 5-7 in the G-MAC. Their season came to an end on a two-game losing streak after falling to No. 11 Hillsdale in the G-MAC tournament. Despite a .313 winning percentage, Malone statistically was nearly even with their opponents. In kills, the Pioneers had 1,524 to the opponent's 1,552, a very slim margin of .2 kills per set separates Malone (12.4) and the opponent (12.6). Their team totaled 11.3 assists per set to the opponent's 11.8. In terms of digs, Malone posted 17.4 per set and their opposition had 17.6 per set.

Noting the Bald Eagles: As a member of the PSAC, Lock Haven had their 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19. Dating back to the 2019 season, the Bald Eagles finished 6-23, including 0-19 in the PSAC. Lock Haven enters the 2021 season on a 21-game losing streak after starting 2019 with a promising 6-2 record under first year head coach Eric Buggs. The Bald Eagles last victory came on Sept. 20, 2019 against Glenville State, 3-0. In 2019, Lock Haven had 874 kills, or 9.1 per set, to their opponents 1,099, or 11.4 per set. The team totaled 16.0 digs per set to the opposition's 17.0 per set. The Bald Eagles also struggled to stuff the competition as they only had 75.5 blocks to their opponent's 191.
 
Noting the Saints: In a shortened spring season, D'Youville College finished 0-4 with opponents being No. 12 Gannon, Roberts Wesleyan twice and Daemen. Looking back to 2019, the Saints finished at 3-20, including 1-9 in the ECC. D'Youville enters the season on a 14-game skid, with their last victory taking place on Oct. 2, 2019 against Hilbert 3-1. In 2019, the Saints tallied 7.8 kills per set, 6.9 assists per set, 12.9 digs per set, 143 service aces and 89 total blocks.