Women's Volleyball | 10/25/2018 10:50:00 PM

THE DETAILS
Bloomsburg (5-18, 1-12 PSAC Central) vs Mercyhurst (9-17, 4-9 PSAC Northwest)
Friday, October 26, 2018 - 7:00 p.m.
Nelson Field House - Bloomsburg, Pa.

Bloomsburg vs #20 Gannon (23-1, 12-1 PSAC Northwest)
Saturday, October 27, 2018 - 12:00 p.m.
Nelson Field House - Bloomsburg, Pa.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Live Video (BOTH DAYS) - CLICK HERE
Live Stats (BOTH DAYS) - CLICK HERE

RELATED LINKS
Bloomsburg - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Mercyhurst - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
Gannon - Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
STORYLINE
The Bloomsburg University women's volleyball team returns to PSAC action this weekend as it hosts the Lakers of Mercyhurst University on Friday night followed by a match with 20th-ranked Gannon on Saturday afternoon. After starting the season with a 4-5 record, the Huskies have won only once in the last 14 matches to fall to 5-18 overall and 1-12 in the PSAC Central Division. The Lakers (9-17, 4-9 PSAC Northwest) split a pair of matches last weekend but have won only once in their last eight contests. The Golden Knights, who play at Lock Haven on Friday night, enter the weekend on a 12-match winning streak. Their only loss of the year came against East Stroudsburg on September 14.
 
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
Bloomsburg enters the weekend with a 5-18 record overall and a 1-12 mark in the PSAC Central division. The Huskies are on a six-match losing streak after a non-conference loss at Susquehanna on Wednesday night. The Huskies come in ranked third in the PSAC in digs per set (18.12) and tenth in service aces per set (1.51). Bloomsburg, however, is 15th in the league in hitting percentage (.110) and is allowing opponents to hit .214 on the year, ranking it last in the conference. Redshirt senior Sarah Gomish (Ebensburg, Pa./Bishop Carroll Catholic) leads the team in kills with 256 and ranks second on the team in digs with 239. She is ninth in the conference in kills per set (3.37) and is 14th in the league in points per set (3.54). She recorded the 1,000th kill of her collegiate career at California on September 15 and is just four digs away from reaching the same milestone in that category. She posted a season-high 21 digs on Wednesday night. Freshman Mary Kate Mooney (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) is second on the team with 159 kills and third in digs with 181. Freshman Grace Giza (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) is starting to emerge as a key playmaker at the net and has moved to third on the team with 96 kills while taking over the team lead in blocks per set (0.66) and total blocks (38). Freshmen Emma Van Arsdale (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Bryn Stek (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin) have split time as the team's setter over the last 11 matches. Van Arsdale continues to lead the team with 468 assists and is tied for fourth in the PSAC in service aces per set (0.44). Stek has led the Huskies in assists in nine of the last 11 matches and has 193 on the season (4.11 per set). Defensively, Giza leads with 38 total blocks with freshman Mia Nicholes (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) right behind with 37. The Huskies are last in the conference in blocks per set (1.01) but have averaged 1.41 blocks per set over the last eight matches. Sophomore Alyssa Cianciulli (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) is tops on the squad with 525 digs. She averages 6.82 digs per set - second in the conference and fourth in the country.
 
SCOUTING MERCYHURST
The Lakers split a pair of four-set matches last weekend as they knocked off Shippensburg before falling to Pitt-Johnstown. Mercyhurst has won just once in its last eight matches to fall to 9-17 overall and 4-9 in the PSAC Northwest Division. The Lakers are 12th in the PSAC in hitting percentage (.168) and are just ahead of the Huskies in opponents' hitting percentage (.210). The Lakers have five players with at least 100 kills on the season as Katie Baird leads the way with 305 (3.18 per set). She is also third in digs with 191. Alyssa Zirnheld (221), Shelby Chesko (150), Alyssa Kling (118), and Tess Ganich (109) are also in triple digits. Claire Kenny and Mary Marusza have split as the team's setter. Kenny leads with 517 assists as Marusza has chipped in with 397. Kling leads the team with 70 total blocks and Hannah Vuylsteke leads with 251 digs.

SCOUTING GANNON
Gannon, which played at Lock Haven on Friday night, has lost just once all season as it comes in ranked 20th according to the latest AVCA Division II poll. The Golden Knights lead the PSAC in hitting percentage (.256) and opponents' hitting percentage (.098) while also leading the conference in aces per set (2.43). Lauren Sampson leads the team with 248 kills while ranking second in digs with 235. Ally Smith is next with 187 kills followed closely by Ashley McClung's 186. Ashley Kerestes has 138 kills and leads the team with 73 total blocks to put her fifth in the PSAC in blocks per set (1.03). Lexi Johnson is second in the PSAC in hitting percentage (.355) and six in blocks per set (1.02). Ashley Beyers has 759 assists (10.40 per set) which has her third in the league while Toni Leitshuh leads with 371 digs.

UP NEXT
Bloomsburg will play its final road contest of the 2018 season on Tuesday, October 30, when it heads to Lock Haven for a rematch against the Bald Eagles. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Stay up to date with the Huskies all season long by following us on our official social media accounts: Twitter (@GoBUHuskies), Facebook (BUHuskies), and Instagram (BUHuskies).