This Week: The Albertus Magnus College women's volleyball team is set to begin the 2016 campaign with a trio of non-conference games this weekend at the Blazer Invitational hosted by Elms. The Falcons open the fall with games against Elms and York on Friday afternoon before squaring off with SUNY Cobleskill on Saturday.
Key Returners: Offensively, Albertus Magnus returns two of its top-three hitters from last season in Ana Gomez and Amber Cohens. Gomez had 136 kills as a sophomore, while the left-handed Cohens racked up 129 with an .084 attack percentage. Other notable returners for the Falcons are Marielis Muriel and Shanaya Bradley. Muriel had 34 kills and ranked second on the squad with 103 assists, while Bradley chipped in 14 digs and seven service aces.
Preseason Poll: The Falcons were picked to finish 12th in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Poll. The poll, which was released last week, is voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. The Falcons earned 20 points to finish just eight point back of 11th-place Norwich.
Last Year: The women's volleyball team is coming off a 5-18 campaign that saw them land in 11th-place in the GNAC. The squad scored non-conference wins against York, Medgar Evers, Purchase and Elms, while also topping conference foe Norwich, 3-0, on the road in 2015.
This Week's Games
Match-up:
Albertus Magnus (0-0) at Elms (0-0)
Friday, September 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM
Chicopee, Mass.
Picknelly Arena
Live Stats: Click here
Last Fall Against the Blazers: Albertus Magnus scored a 3-1 triumph at home on senior night last October. Cohens registered a season-high 14 kills to lead the Falcons to victory. At the time, the win was the third straight in non-conference play for AMC.
Match-up:
Albertus Magnus vs. York
Friday, September 1, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Chicopee, Mass.
Picknelly Arena
Last Year Versus the Cardinals: Last September, Albertus Magnus opened the campaign with a 3-2 victory in the Empire State. With the score knotted at two games apiece, Albertus Magnus took deciding set, 15-11, to pick up the win. As a team, Albertus had 30 kills, 26 assists, 20 service aces and 46 digs.
Match-up:
Albertus Magnus vs. SUNY Cobleskill
Saturday, September 2, 2016 at 10:00 am
Chicopee, Mass.
Picknelly Arena
Last Meeting with the Fighting Tigers: Albertus Magnus fell to SUNY Cobleskill, 3-1, at the Blazer Invitational in 2014.
NOTES:
- The win against Elms last year marked the first career coaching victory for Albertus Head Coach Vanessa Rosario in her debut. The season-opening triumph was the first for Albertus since taking a five-set thriller versus Elms in 2012.
- The team has four returners and five newcomers this season.
- Seven of the team's first eight games will take place outside of New Haven. Last year, the squad picked up four wins away from home.
