This Week: The Notre Dame College volleyball team travels to West Liberty University on Tuesday Sept. 28 at 7 p.m., before welcoming Frostburg State University to Murphy Gymnasium on Friday Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. for the Falcons home-opener.
 
Records: Notre Dame enters the week at 2-7 (1-0 MEC), as West Liberty is 11-4 (1-0 MEC) and Frostburg State 7-7 (0-1 MEC).
 
Coaches Corner: Erica Kostelac takes over the Notre Dame College volleyball program in her first season as head coach. Riley Jarrett is in her fourth season at the helm of West Liberty, holding a career record of 60-34. Kylie Heyne also in her fourth season with Frostburg State University volleyball program, owning a career mark of 32-53.
 
Rankings: None of these teams are ranked according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 9-13 all-time when facing West Liberty, dating back to their first meeting in 2011 and including the series split last season. The Falcons took down the Hilltoppers in four sets on the home court on Sept. 20, before falling to WLU on Oct. 18 on the road in straight sets. NDC is 7-1 all-time when playing Frostburg State, dating back to their first meeting in 2019 and including the Falcons pair of sweeps last season.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last week, Notre Dame mounted a thrilling five-set come-from-behind victory at West Virginia Wesleyan to kick-off Mountain East Conference play. Several Falcons posted career-highs including 53 assists from Jayme Zoeckler, four blocks by Diamond Baker and 24 kills from Sydney Bray. Bray claimed this week's Mountain East Conference Player of the Week award following the stellar performance which is tied for the seventh-most kills in any match in NDC program history, and tied for the fourth-most in a five-set match in program history.
 
On the year, Bray paces the Notre Dame College offense with 132 kills at 3.88 kills per set, ranking 29^th in NCAA Division II. Bray is joined by junior Samantha Comer (62) and freshman Lilliana Mook (53) as players with more than 50 kills.
 
Zoeckler sets up the Falcon attack with 290 assists at 8.53 assists per set, while also leading the team in service aces (11).
 
On defense, junior Kiley Kalina anchors the team with 140 digs at 4.24 digs per set. She is joined by Bray (91), Zoeckler (72) and Comer (52) as Falcons with north of 50 digs. At the net, senior Kelsie Palmer owns a team-high 19 blocks, followed by Bray with 17.
 
As a whole, Notre Dame averages 10.6 kills per set on .122 attack percentage, to go with 9.8 assists per set, 1.2 aces per set, 15.1 digs per set and 1.6 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Hilltoppers: Last week, West Liberty outlasted Charleston on the road in five-sets, including taking the fifth set 18-16. As a result of the win and a 26-dig performance, libero Nyia Setla took home MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Katelynn Fritz leads a trio of Hilltoppers with 100 or more kills, at 156 kills and 2.64 kills per set. Ashley Cudnik (121) and Liv McAtee (104) add to a potent three-headed attack.
 
The WLU offense is set up by Dakoda Keni (452) and Haley Zeck (147) as the top facilitators on the team.
 
Defensively, Setla carries the squad with 310 digs at 5.00 digs per set. She is joined by Fritz (154), Keni (135) and Bella Dart (131) as players with more than 100 digs this season. At the net, West Liberty poses a significant threat with four players at 25 blocks or more, led by Grace Hills 44 rejections at 0.92 blocks per set.
 
As a unit, West Liberty maintains 12.0 kills per set on a 1.93 attack percentage to go with, 11.1 assists per set, 1.5 aces per set, 16.5 digs per set and 1.7 blocks per set.
 
Noting the Bobcats: Last week, Frostburg State stumbled during their MEC opener at Concord, by falling to the Mountain Lions in straight sets.
 
Beverly Braun is the clear top option for FSU, registering a team-high 159 kills at 3.31 kills per set. Amanda Knieper and AJ Thompson are the next Bobcats at 81 and 75 kills, respectively.
 
Hayley Delor touts a team-leading 9.42 assists per set as she has totaled 452 dimes this year.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, a trio of Bobcats do the heavy lifting in Fiona Gonzalez Medina (231), Delor (148) and Braun (125). Gonzalez Medina is the anchor to the backline with 4.36 digs per set. Paige Mock is a problem at the net, as the freshman averages 1.05 blocks per set, amassing 45 blocks this season.
 
As a team, Frostburg State posts 11.3 kills per set on a .168 attack percentage, to go with 10.4 assists per set, 2.0 aces per set, 15.0 digs per set and 1.7 blocks per set.