| Matchup |
Merrimack (0-0) vs. Molloy (0-0) // Chestnut Hill (0-0) |
Matchup |
Merrimack (0-0) vs. LIU Post (0-0) // Jefferson (0-0) |
| Date/Time |
Friday, Sept. 1 (3pm) // Friday, Sept. 1 (5pm) |
Date/Time |
Saturday, Sept. 2 (10am) // Saturday, Sept. 2 (12pm) |
| Venue |
Quealy Gymnasium // Rockville Centre, N.Y. |
Venue |
Pratt Recreation Center // Brookville, N.Y. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch (Free) |
Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch (Free) |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program partakes in the Long Island Invitational this weekend to begin the 2017 season, facing Molloy College and Chestnut Hill on Friday before taking on LIU Post and Jefferson University on Saturday. The first two contests will be hosted at Molloy while Saturday's matches will be played at LIU Post.
Long Island Invitational
Friday, Sept. 1 (@ Molloy College)
Match 1: Merrimack vs. Molloy – 3 p.m.
Match 2: Chestnut Hill vs. Merrimack – 5 p.m.
Match 3: Caldwell vs. Molloy – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 2 (@ LIU Post)
Match 1: Merrimack vs. LIU Post – 10 a.m.
Match 2: Jefferson Univ. vs. Merrimack – 12 p.m.
Match 3: Jefferson Univ. vs. LIU Post – 2 p.m.
2016 Rewind
- The women's volleyball team faced a difficult schedule in 2016, competing in three non-conference tournaments including the hosting of the Merrimack Invitational
- Captains Jennifer Cain '17 and Tara Stuhr '17 graduated from the program as part of a five-player senior class that departed from the program following the season's end
- Stuhr became just the second student-athlete at Merrimack to record 4,000 career assists towards the end of the campaign, while reaching the 1,000-assist mark for the year for the second time in her career
- Cain was one of the most versatile players on the Warriors during her tenure, finishing among Merrimack's all-time leaders in kills. She set a career high as a senior in digs, rotating among all positions in the front and back rows
Meet the 2017 Warriors
- First-year head coach Jeff Costa will make his debut this weekend. Costa was elevated to the head spot after serving as Merrimack's top assistant the last two seasons
- Senior middle hitter Mary Kate McCarroll (Harrison, Ohio) and junior libero Christina Nye (Plaistow, N.H.) will be the Warriors' captains in 2017. McCarroll set career highs with 203 kills and 69 digs last season, while reaching a new career best with 45 total blocks
- Nye transitioned from an outside hitter/defensive specialist to Merrimack's full-time libero in 2017. She ranked among the top-10 in program history in single-season digs (421), setting a new personal best in the process
- Merrimack features a trio of impact juniors in Sofia Basauri (Beaverton, Ore.), Amanda Cain (Melrose, Mass.) and Katelynn Marr (Franklin, Mass.). Basauri will serve in attacking roll as a middle hitter, while Cain returns as one of Merrimack's top defensive options. Marr will play on the outside after setting a career high in attacks last season
- Sophomore Catherine Flaherty (North Andover, Mass.) leads Merrimack's crop of second-year returners after a 200-plus kill performance as a rookie. Joining Flaherty among the returning sophomores includes Rosie Sperduto (Brentwood, Tenn.), Sydney Buran (Cohoes, N.Y.) and Nicole Pucillo (Winthrop, Mass.)
- Merrimack will have three newcomers on the roster, featuring two sophomores and one true freshman. Kylie Chetwynde (Hanover, Mass.) and Brianna Santiago (Belchertown, Mass.) will be first-year players, but are in their second academic year at Merrimack. Karina Anderson (Newbury Park, Calif.) will be the Navy and Gold's lone freshman, arriving on campus from California
Series Histories:
- Merrimack has faced Molloy twice since the turn of the century, with both matchups occurring in the 2013-14 campaign. The Warriors won both contests, only dropping one set
- The Warriors will play Chestnut Hill for the first time this weekend, and face the Griffins again next weekend at the Wildcat Invitational
- The Warriors and Pioneers will meet for the first time since the 2012-13 season, which saw Merrimack knock off LIU Post, 3-1
- Another first-time opponent, Merrimack and Jefferson University will meet on the court this week as well as next weekend in Delaware
Scouting Report:
Up Next
Merrimack plays in its second of consecutive tournaments next weekend when the Warriors head to Wilmington University to face the Wildcats and Holy Family University, while facing Chestnut Hill and Jefferson once again, over a two-day span beginning on Friday, Sept. 8.
