NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program begins not only its 2018 season on Saturday, but officially kicks off the college's 2018-19 athletic year when the Warriors compete in a tri-match hosted by East Stroudsburg University. Merrimack will play the University of the Sciences in its first match of the day at 1 p.m. followed by a match against the host ESU Warriors at approximately 3 p.m. from Koehler Fieldhouse.
2017 Flashback:
- First-year head coach Jeff Costa debuted on the Merrimack sidelines in 2017, taking over the position after serving as an assistant coach in 2015 and 2016
- The Warriors return either the statistical leader or runner-up in every major category entering 2018. Offensively, senior Katelynn Marr notched 172 kills and 27 service aces, ranking second on the squad in each stat, during a career junior campaign
- Junior Rosie Sperduto will once again serve as Merrimack's primary setter after a 630-assist campaign as a sophomore. The Tennessee native posted double-digit helpers in all but three of her appearances last season
- Seniors Sofia Basauri and Amanda Cain enter the year as captains. As juniors, Basauri notched 31.0 total blocks for an average of 0.36 per frame while Cain posted a career-best 212 digs. Cain steps into the Warriors' starting libero role as a senior
- Junior Catherine Flaherty slots back into the lineup, as well. Batting through an injury last year, the North Andover native still managed to lead the team with 0.40 blocks per set and ranked third with 1.86 kills per frame
Mack Facts:
- Merrimack's members of the Class of 2019 (Basauri, Cain, Marr) have been constant contributors to the Warriors, appearing in nearly 600 sets combined entering the fall
- In addition to the Warriors' three seniors, juniors Sydney Buran, Kylie Chetwynde, Nicole Pucillo and Brianna Santiago join Flaherty and Sperduto in the junior class. All four players will be in the mix of Merrimack's defensive rotation, while Buran has setting experience and Chetwynde can play as an outside hitter
- Sophomore Karina Anderson is the lone second-year student on the roster in 2018. Anderson led all Warriors who attempted at least 250 attacks with a .151 hitting percentage last season
- Six newcomers join the Warriors in 2018, equaling the program's largest incoming class this decade. Freshmen Kara Haase, Brooke Leestma, Sophie Meyers, Megan Rumenapp, Natasha Vallis and Kayla Zinser will all have a chance to make their Warrior debuts this weekend
- For a full look back at 2017 and look ahead at 2018, click here
Inside the Series:
- Merrimack will meet the University of the Sciences for the first time ever on Saturday, in the Warriors' first regional match of the year. Sciences – a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) – won six times last year, but only twice in non-conference play
- Last meeting in 2016, the Warriors will play East Stroudsburg for the third time since 2015. Both previous matches went the distance, with Merrimack and ESU winning one tilt each
- Flaherty led the squad with four block assists as a freshman two years ago, while also contributing nine kills
Meet the Opposition:
Up Next:
Merrimack will have another week off before heading to the Skyhawk Invitational next weekend, hosted by Stonehill College. The Warriors will face Georgian Court, Felician and the host Skyhawks over a span of two days beginning Saturday, Sept. 1.
