This Week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team begins the final week of the regular season. The Falcons host Frostburg State University on Tuesday Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., before concluding with Senior Night on Friday Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. against Alderson Broaddus University.
 
Records: NDC sits at 12-18, including 6-8 inside the Mountain East Conference, placing them in seventh place. It is worth noting that the top eight teams in the MEC receive a bid into the postseason, and as a result of losses by Glenville State and WV Wesleyan last week, the Falcons will qualify for MEC Tournament for the fifth year in a row
 
FSU is currently 16-14 (4-10 MEC) and in eighth place in the MEC. AB holds an 8-16 (2-12 MEC) record, which is 11^th in the conference.
 
Coaches Corner: Riley Coleman and Kathleen Egan are co-head coaches of the Notre Dame College volleyball program, holding a career record of 7-8. Kylie Heyne heads the Frostburg State program, with a 25-44 career record in her third season. Julia Erickson is in her first year with Alderson Broaddus.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll.
 
Series History: NDC maintains a 6-1 all-time record against Frostburg State, dating back to 2019 and including the Falcons straight set victory back on Sept. 27. Notre Dame is 6-2 all-time when facing Alderson Broaddus, dating back to 2011 and including the Falcons five set victory back on Oct. 4.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame faced tough competition as the Falcons fell in both matches. On Tuesday, NDC battled with Fairmont State to four sets, before losing to Wheeling in three on Friday. Sophomore Samantha Comer continues to have a terrific second half of the season as she led NDC in kills during both matches (15 and 14).
 
Offensively, NDC has been led by senior Kaye Dregalla who has registered 257 kills on the season. Comer follows suit with 208 kills and team-high 2.74 kills per set. Middle blockers, Ryleigh Ronald (171) and Carli Derda (169) also contribute on the offensive side of the ball.
 
Sophomore Jayme Zoeckler continues to lead Notre Dame with 647 assists, at 8.29 assists per set, ranking fourth in the MEC. Fellow sophomore Caris Cross has stepped up for the Falcons as of late as she has 216 assists at 7.45 assists per set.
 
Defensively, sophomore libero Kiley Kalina ranks 11^th in the country with 528 digs. Kalina leads the team and ranks third in the MEC with 4.80 digs per set. She is joined by sophomore Grace Smotek (261) and junior Ellie Schenk (249) who also have north of 200 digs on the year.
 
As a team, Notre Dame generates 11.2 kills per set on a .162 hit percentage, to go with 10.2 assists per set, 16.7 digs per set, 1.9 blocks per set and 1.5 aces per set. The Falcons are tied for seventh in NCAA Division II with 1,854 total digs this year.
 
Noting the Bobcats: Last week, Frostburg State dropped both of their contests, beginning with a straight set loss to Wheeling on Tuesday. Beverly Braun led the contest with 14 kills. The Bobcats could not get any momentum going against West Liberty on Friday as they fell in straight sets for fourth consecutive match.
 
All season long, the Frostburg State offense has gone through Braun. She ranks eighth in country with 408 kills, and 17^th with 4.11 kills per set. In addition, she leads her team and ranks first in the MEC in both categories.
 
AJ Thompson (214) is the only other Bobcat above 200 kills this year.
 
Hayley Delor is the setter for FSU, ranking sixth in the MEC with 662 assists at 7.36 assists per set.
 
On defense, Fiona Gonzalez Medina is fourth in the conference with 4.70 digs per set as she has 423 on the year.
 
Thompson is ninth in the MEC with 0.93 blocks per set.
 
As a unit, Frostburg State produces 11.3 kills per set on a .178 hit percentage, to go with 10.7 assists per set, 17.3 digs per set, 2.2 block per set and 2.1 aces per set.
 
Noting the Battlers: Last week, Alderson Broaddus lost both of their contest. First, West Liberty came to town and defeated AB in straight sets, before the Battlers traveled to Fairmont State on Friday for a four-set match. Jocie Fisher paced AB on both occasions, as she totaled a game-high 13 kills against Fairmont State.
 
Fisher is the heart and soul to the AB offense as the only player with more than 115 kills. Fisher ranks fourth in the MEC with 3.37 kills per set as she has amassed 280 kills on the season.
 
Kaitlyn Jager ranks seventh in the MEC with 6.92 assists per set ash she leads Alderson Broaddus with 533 assists on the year.
 
On defense, Jordan Grimes leads a committee of Battlers with 220 digs. Four other AB players post at least 148 digs on the year.
 
As a whole. Alderson Broaddus flashes 10.0 kills per set on a .115 hit percentage, to go with 9.0 assists per set, 12.8 digs per set, 1.2 blocks per set and 1.8 aces per set.