This Week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team will participate in the MEC/PSAC Crossover on Friday and Saturday Sept. 9-10, hosted by West Liberty University. First, NDC will play Slippery Rock on Friday at 3 p.m., before facing Shippensburg in the night cap at 7 p.m. Next, the Falcons will play Clarion on Saturday at noon before wrapping up with Millersville at 2 p.m. Lastly, Notre Dame will host John Carroll University on Tuesday Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

Tickets: All tickets must be purchased at the gate, there will be no presale. Prices are as follows; Day Pass - $10, Senior Citizen - $5, Visiting Students - $5, Kids under 12 - Free. For more information regarding the tournament, click here.
 
Records: NDC is 3-7 on the season after their most recent victory. Slippery Rock is 2-5, whereas Shippensburg sits at 5-4. Saturday features stiff competition with Clarion seated at 7-0, while Millersville is 7-1 on the year. Lastly, John Carroll is a member of NCAA Division III, holding a record of 3-2.
 
Coaches Corner: Anthony Mezacapa is the head coach of Notre Dame College in his second season. Mezacapa holds a 19-22 career record with the Falcons. Laurie Lokash is in her 39^th season as the helm of the Slippery Rock volleyball program, posting a career record of 650-615. Leanne Piscotty heads the Shippensburg volleyball team in her 19^th season. Her career record is 385-228. Jennifer Herron is in her 16^th season with Clarion, holding a career record of 344-155. Brian Smith headlines the Millersville volleyball program in his 13^th season. Smith posts a 182-166 career mark. Lastly, Michele Benoit is the head coach of John Carroll, holding a career 81-92 record with the Blue Streaks.
 
Rankings: Clarion is currently receiving votes according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) week two poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 3-1 all-time when playing Slippery Rock, dating back to their first meeting in 2017 and including a pair of Falcon wins a year ago (3-0, 3-1). NDC is 0-2 all-time when playing against Shippensburg since 2017, including their most recent meeting in 2019. The Falcons are 0-5 all-time when squaring up against Clarion, dating back to the team's first meeting in 2008 and most recent battle last season. Notre Dame is 0-1 against Millersville with their lone meeting taking place last season, 3-1 in favor of MU. Finally, NDC holds a 3-1 record all-time against John Carroll, dating back to 2009 and including the most recent Falcon victory in 2017.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame fell in three of their four matches at the Hall of Fame City Classic to Malone (3-1), Davenport (3-0) and Edinboro (3-2), while besting Bloomsburg (3-0). The Falcons returned home on Tuesday for their home opener where they downed Lake Erie in straight sets.
 
Offensively, the tandem of sophomore Samantha Comer and senior Kaye Dregalla lead the team with 82 and 78 kills, respectively. The likes of senior Carli Derda, junior Kelsie Palmer and freshman Ryleigh Ronald also add offense for NDC with 54, 48 and 44 kills, respectively. The NDC attack has consistently been set up by sophomore Jayme Zoeckler who leads the team with 264 assists at 7.54 assists per set.

Defensively, sophomore Kiley Kalina holds down the fort with a team-high138 digs at 4.06 digs per set. Junior Ellie Schenk, freshman Sierra Nausieda and Zoeckler also contribute digs with 84, 80 and 71, respectively. At the net, Ronald (30), Derda (29) and Comer (23) pose a threat for opposing attackers as the leaders in blocks on the team.
 
As a unit, Notre Dame generates 10.3 kills per set on .147 hit percentage to go with 9.1 assists per set, 14.9 digs per set, 1.5 service aces per set and 2.0 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Rock: Slippery Rock participated in the Shark Invitational over the weekend where they went 1-2. A couple straight set losses to American International and No. 23 Nova Southeastern, were joined by a 3-1 victory over Shaw.
 
Erica Selfridge leads a balanced Rock attack with 48 kills, as Callie Chevalier (44), Alayna Chizmar (40), Abigail Nigon (38) and Chelsie Wheeler (33), round out the offense for SRU. Jaeden Yost is the setter for the Rock attackers with 125 assists on the year.
 
Defensively, SRU is led by Kate Lachendro's 123 digs at 4.92 digs per set. Yost and Selfridge aid Lachendro's efforts with 72 and 58 digs, respectively. At the net, Stephanie O'Donnell is a threat for opposing attackers as she leads the team with 26 blocks at 1.24 blocks per set. Nigon and Wheeler also post double digit blocks with 19 and 15, respectively.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock produces 10.6 kills per set on .171 hit percentage, to go with 9.9 assists per set, 16.4 digs per set, 2.0 service aces per set and 2.2 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Raiders: Last week, Shippensburg won four of their five contests, with wins over Chowan (3-1), Elizabeth City State (3-2), Virginia State (3-2) and Chestnut Hill (3-0). The Raiders lone loss was to West Virginia State in straight sets.
 
Rachel Verhoef leads the Shippensburg attack with 65 kills on the season. Teammates Kaitlyn Townsend (52), Maddie Clabaugh (49), Oyinda Agbale (46), Kat Negron (41) and Jordan Bowen (38) also contribute kills for SU. In the setting department, Kearstin Davis is the facilitator for the Raiders with 177 assists on the year.
 
Shippensburg is ultra-balanced on the defensive side with Erica Lampus leading the pack at 88 digs, with Negron (70), Davis (65) and Clabaugh (64) checking in next. The duo of Verhoef and Townsend are a problem at the net with 34 and 33 blocks, respectively this season.
 
As a whole, Shippensburg produces 9.6 kills per set on a .128 hit percentage, to go with 8.7 assists per set, 13.2 digs per set, 1.9 service aces per set and 1.8 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Golden Eagles: Clarion continued their perfect start to the 2022 season with three wins over the weekend at the Daemen Invitational. The Golden Eagles took out Mercyhurst and Franklin Pierce in straight sets, while besting Daemen in four. The lone set dropped to Daemen, was Clarion's first lost set of the season.
 
Offensively, the Golden Eagles are super-efficient with Julia Piccolino leading the team at 77 kills. Cassidy Snider (57) and Amy Regrut (53) also contribute quality numbers with .300 and .344 hit percentages, respectively. The top five attackers for CU boast hit percentages north of .250 as Clarion as a whole holds a .297 team hit percentage, which is seventh in NCAA Division II.
 
London Fuller checks in at 277 assists and 10.2 assists per set to facilitate the offense. Fuller ranks 32^nd in the country in assists per set.
 
Defensively, Abigail Selfridge is the anchor with a team-high 88 digs at 3.95 digs per set. CU does not block very many shots as the leaders are Alyson Peters and Lauren Aichinger with 14 and 12 blocks respectively.
 
As a team, Clarion generates 13.9 kills per set on .297 hit percentage, to go along with 11.5 assists per game, 12.9 digs per set, 2.7 service aces per set and 1.6 blocks per set. The Golden Eagles are national ranked in hit percentage (7^th), service aces per set (8^th) and kills per set (13^th).
 
Noting the Marauders: Last weekend, Millersville went 3-1, with three straight set victories over Chestnut Hill, Frostburg State and Nyack, while falling 3-1 to Fairmont State.
 
Offensively, the Marauders deploy a three-headed monster with Rose Vail (69), Kylie Airesman (66) and Laurel Samko (66) leading the team in kills as no other player has more than 35 kills on the year. Emma Ludwig lets up the Millersville attack with 222 assists on the season.
 
Defensively, Becca Dalstad and Emma Ludwig hold down the fort with 116 and 92 digs, respectively. At the net, Rylee Thomas is the main threat with 22 total blocks on the year.
 
As a team, Millersville has played to 12.0 kills per set on .193 hit percentage, to go with 11.0 assists per set, 16.5 digs per set, 3.0 service aces per set and 1.3 blocks per set. Millersville ranks fourth in the nation in service aces per set.
 
Noting the Blue Streaks: Last weekend, John Carroll began their 2022 campaign at the Colorado College Tournament, where they fell in straight sets to the host institution and Hardin-Simmons, before besting Lawrence (3-0) and Wisconsin-Superior (3-1). The Blue Streaks returned to University Heights, for their home opener on Wednesday when they defeated Chatham by way of the sweep.
 
The JCU offense is led by graduate student Cassi Calamunci's 45 kills and .244 hit percentage. Abigail Kirk clocks in at second with 33 kills, as Jillian Kellick and Jessica Liddle provide efficiency in the attack with .269 and .293 hit percentages. Ally Bartolone and Maddie Maziarz split the facilitating duties with 82 and 62 assists to their name.
 
Defensively, Lexi MacDonald's 62 digs and 3.88 digs per set lead the team. Calamunci (44), Payton Miozzi (33) and Bartolone (32) assist MacDonald's backline efforts. At the net, Liddle is the lone Blue Streak to post double digit blocks with 13.
 
As a group, John Carroll registers 11.6 kills per set on .186 hit percentage, to go with 10.7 assists per set, 15.6 digs per set, 1.5 service aces per set and 1.6 blocks per set.