Volleyball atop MAAC standings halfway through conference play

By Maggie Tifft, Assistant Sports Editor

The Canisius volleyball team improved to third in the standings with a 6–3 record on the season, after a weekend of wins against Iona University and Manhattan College on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, respectively.

After defeating the Gaels 3–1 and the Jaspers in a 3–0 sweep, the volleyball team saw not one, not two, but three individual players reach major milestones in their careers. Senior Kara Zaucha surpassed 1,000 points, sophomore Lauren Hubert notched her 500th kill and senior captain Jill Hanna continued to maintain her nationally ranked position in service aces, coming in at 18th in the country.

With such a successful weekend, the Griffs stay in the top three of MAAC play, tied with bridge rival Niagara University, who they will face later next week in their annual Dig Pink match. Before they face the Purple Eagles however, the Griffs will have to defend their home court against Quinnipiac University and Merrimack College this upcoming weekend on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27.

On Saturday Oct. 26, Canisius will host the Bobcats in a top three matchup, ensuring an exciting match for those who attend. Canisius is ranked amongst the top three in countless statistics like hitting percentage (second place with .206) and assists per game (third at 11.27). The only statistic in which Quinnipiac leads the Griffs is service aces.

This weekend will conclude with a first-time meeting between Canisius and Merrimack in women’s volleyball. While Merrimack sits in seventh place in MAAC standings, they are currently on a four-game winning streak and sit at second place for service aces.

This exciting weekend of games will surely prepare the Griffs to face their Western New York rivals on Wednesday, Oct. 30 for their highly anticipated annual Dig Pink Game. To watch the Canisius volleyball team before then, watch their games this weekend, both of which are at 12 p.m. in the Koessler Athletic Center.

Photo courtesy of Tom Wolf