This week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team begins their 2022 campaign with the Mercyhurst/Gannon Invitational slated for Friday and Saturday August 26-27. On Friday, the Falcons will face Grand Valley State at 3 p.m. before seeing Malone in the night cap at 7 p.m. Come Saturday, NDC will play the host schools with Gannon at 10 a.m. and Mercyhurst at 2 p.m. Lastly, Notre Dame will conclude the month of August with a single match on Tuesday August 30 at 6 p.m. on the road against Ashland.
 
Records: Last season, Notre Dame finished with a record of 16-16 (7-9 MEC) and a birth into the MEC Tournament. Grand Valley State played to a 17-10 (10-4 GLIAC) record a season ago and made it into the NCAA Tournament. Malone finished up the 2021 season by going 10-18 (5-11 GMAC). Gannon enjoyed a 32-7 (13-3 PSAC) record last fall, including making it to the National Semifinals after a five-game run through the NCAA Tournament. Lastly, Mercyhurst went 11-16 (7-9 PSAC) last season, while Ashland concluded at 18-13 (13-3 GMAC).
 
Coaches Corner: Anthony Mezacapa begins his second season at the helm of the NDC volleyball program after going 16-16 as co-head coach during the 2021 season. Jason Johnson is the head coach of Grand Valley State in his second season after spending the previous 21 seasons as an assistant with the team. Rafael Gonzalez leads the Malone volleyball program in his second season. Matt Darling enters his 16^th season in charge of the Gannon volleyball program, holding a career record of 352-136. Ryan Patton begins his 250-243 in his 19^th season leading the Mercyhurst volleyball team. Finally, Ashland is led by Kevin Foeman who holds a career record of 76-35 entering his fifth season.
 
Rankings: Gannon is ranked 18^th and Ashland is receiving votes in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.
 
Series History: NDC and GVSU will kick off their 2022 campaigns with the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Falcons are 5-6 all-time when facing Malone, including a 3-0 victory last season. Notre Dame is 0-4 all-time when playing Gannon, with the most recent match taking place in 2014. NDC has won two of their ten matches with Mercyhurst all-time, however the Falcons claimed two of the three most recent battles, including a 3-2 victory last season. Lastly, the Falcons are 0-2 when squaring up against Ashland after most recently playing in 2019.
 
Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame is coming off a successful 2021 season during Mezacapa's first season, which featured a postseason appearance, two All-MEC performers and the program's second-best record since 2009.  
 
After brining home Honorable Mention All-MEC a season ago, junior Kelsie Palmer is primed to lead the NDC volleyball team in 2022. The Monroeville, Ohio native paced the Falcons attack with a team-leading 315 points, 284 kills on 906 total attacks, while playing and starting in all 32 matches.

Senior Kaye Dregalla (259), sophomore Grace Smotek (198), senior Blaire Barr (154), senior Carli Derda (143) and junior Brittany Miller (103) all return this season for the Falcons after each generating more than 100 kills in 2021. In fact, NDC is geared up for a big season as the Falcons return six of their top seven players in terms of the attack.
 
Junior McKenzie Andrix and sophomore Jayme Zoeckler tag-teamed the setting duties last season, as they finished one and two on the team in assists with 605 and 511, respectively. Both players return with valuable experience from a year ago.
 
Defensively, Notre Dame will have their hands full in replacing 626 digs and 6.20 digs per set vacated by the graduation of Amelia Kaeberlein. NDC featured six other players with at least 100 digs on the season, including Kiley Kalina (254) and Ellie Schenk (180). Kalina and Schenk both saw time at libero last season, and will be joined by Smotek's 306 digs a season ago to replace Kaeberlein's absence.
 
At the net, the aforementioned Derda is back for her senior season after leading Notre Dame in blocks (104) and blocks per set (0.90) last season. Other Falcons such as Palmer, Barr and Miller will seek to aid Derda at the net after Katie Richardson's 80 blocks and 137 kills have since graduated.
 
Despite graduating two players, Notre Dame welcomes seven newcomers, including five freshmen and two transfers into 2022. The likes of freshmen Hannah Graves, Reagan Stempin, Molly Stayer and Ryleigh Ronald, paired with sophomores Kelly Ponzani and Caris Cross will seek to contribute right away.
 
Stacking up against the Mountain East Conference, last season Notre Dame ranked eighth in hitting percentage (.158), fifth in assists (1,331), fifth in kills (1,407), fourth in blocks (208), fourth in service aces (173) and first in digs (2,246). On a per set basis, NDC ranked seventh in assists (11.1), seventh in kills (11.7), sixth in blocks (1.7), tenth in service aces (1.4) and first in digs per set (18.7).
 
Noting the GVSU Lakers: Last season, Grand Valley State put together a solid season after making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. However, the Lakers faltered at the end of the year by dropping their first contest of the conference tournament, and their first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.
 
GVSU will be tasked with replacing two of their top three players in terms of attack, with junior Sarah Wight as a key returner to keep an eye on. Wight produced 263 kills (2^nd), 313.5 points (2^nd) on .295 (2^nd) hit percentage last season.
 
Rachel Jacquay is a centerpiece for the Lakers as she facilitated 10.72 assists per set last season, ranking tied for 21^st in the country. The now junior returns for the 2022 season, having accounted for nearly 88% of the team's assists in 2021 with 1,063.
 
On defense, Julia Blaney and Jacquay will be tasked with replacing the Lakers top two players in terms of digs. Blaney (236) and Jacquay (220) finished third and fourth respectively on the team in 2021, and are the lone returners to amass more than 200 digs last season.
 
As a unit, Grand Valley State generated 13.5 kills per set on .232 hit percentage, 12.2 assists per set, 16.4 digs per set, 1.7 service aces per set and 2.1 blocks per set last season.
 
Noting the Pioneers: MU is primed for a big season in 2022 as nearly all key players from a season ago have returned. Last season, Malone totaled 10.9 kills per set on .131 hit percentage, 10.0 assists per set, 17.2 digs per set, 1.5 service aces per set and 1.7 blocks per set.
 
The Pioneers are led by senior Anna Mallette who led the team by a wide margin in points (313.5), points per set (3.23), kills (279), kills per set (2.88) and total attacks (907) in 2021. No other Pioneer had more than 176 points, 152 kills or 525 total attacks.
 
Malone will enjoy the company of their top two facilitators from 2021 as Molly Bullion (397) and Gabby Pelfrey (387) return. Outside of these two setters, MU's next best option produced just 57 assists.
 
Defensively, the Pioneers should be fundamentally sound, as the top five digs leaders on the team have all returned including, Macy McCauley (411), Mallette (316), Hallie Pinkerton (288), Bullion (230) and Pelfrey (183).
 
Noting the Golden Knights: Last season, Gannon enjoyed a trip to the National Semifinals but fell to the eventual National Champions in top seeded University of Tampa, 3-1. The Golden Knights bid for the PSAC Tournament Championship also came up short last season when Clarion bested GU in straight sets in the conference title game.
 
After a great run, the Golden Knights will seek to repeat last season's success, but will have to do so by replacing several key contributors. Five players posted north of 200 kills last season, including two above 300 and one above 400. Of the five players, only Sam Deinek with 253 (3^rd) and Maggie Greenfield with 222 (5^th) return, leaving head coach Matt Darling with decisions to make. Adding to the tough decisions, Ashley Beyers graduated, which leaves behind her team-leading and top five NCAA Division II mark of 1,337 assists, while the next closest Golden Knight generated just 87 assists in 2021.
 
Defensively, six Golden Knights notched 200 or more digs last year with four breaking the 300 mark, while Emma Hall led the team at 570. Only Hall and Deinek (233) return to Darling's squad, leaving the veteran head coach with more potential question marks
 
During the year, Gannon produced 13.4 kills per set on .238 hit percentage, 12.2 assists per set, 19.1 digs per set (top 10 in the country), 1.9 service aces per set and 2.1 blocks per set.
 
Noting the MU Lakers: Last season, Mercyhurst went on a rollercoaster during the second half of the year by opening up a six-game losing streak, before immediately flipping that into a six-game winning streak, then dropping the next five games in a row, before eventually winning their final game of the season.
 
On the attack, MU will be looking to replace their top four leaders in kills. Junior Maggie Thomas is the top returning attacker for the Lakers with 80 kills on a .222 hit percentage.
 
Mercyhurst does return their main setter in Alexa Mitchell for her senior season. Mitchell led the Lakers in assists (471) and assists per set (4.57) last season. In addition, Mitchell may be tasked with additional defensive duties as her and Zoe Gadomski checked in tied for the third most digs on the team at 174. The duo will have to replace six of the other top digs leaders on the team from a year ago, including the 582 vacated by the graduation of Hannah Vuylsteke.
 
As a whole, Mercyhurst put together 11.3 kills per set on .151 hit percentage, 10.5 assists per set, 16.2 digs per set, 1.8 service aces per set and 1.6 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Golden Eagles: Ashland concluded their 2021 season with seven consecutive victories before falling to Hillsdale in the GMAC Tournament Championship game, 3-1. In addition, that was their second seven-game win streak of the season, while the Golden Eagles ensured a perfect 8-0 record at home. An experienced Ashland team will return much of the same talent from a year ago on both offense and defense.
 
On the attack, the top three players in terms of kills all return with fifth-year Erin Krupar as the leader of the pack. Krupar ranked second in the country in kills (504) and fifth in kills per set (4.58) a year ago. Sophomore's Graceann Hartman (262) and Sage Kissman (211) notched the second and third most kills on the team after impressive rookie campaigns, offering a three-headed monster on the attack for Ashland.
 
Fifth-year Zoey Peck also returns in 2022 for Ashland as she recorded 1,072 assists a year ago to lead the team. No other Golden Eagle posted more than 75 assists on the year.
 
Defensively, AU is returning their top four players with Katie Thompson leading the way at 403 digs. Stephanie Smith (358), Peck (318) and Krupar (304) will provide an experienced back line for the Golden Eagles.
 
As a group, Ashland totaled 13.4 kills per set on .214 hit percentage, 12.3 assists per set, 18.4 digs per set, 1.2 service aces per set and 1.9 blocks per set.