Courtesy: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The 2018 MAAC Volleyball Championship gets underway on Thursday with a quadruple header of first round contests starting at 10 a.m. from the HP Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
Thursday’s Slate
No. 3 Rider vs No. 10 Siena • 10 a.m.
No. 4 Fairfield vs No. 9 Manhattan • 12:30 p.m.
No. 5 Marist vs No. 8 Saint Peter’s • 5 p.m.
No. 6 Niagara vs No. 7 Quinnipiac • 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast Schedule
All four games on Friday and the championship game on Saturday will air on ESPN3 from the HP Field House. Games on Friday are scheduled for 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. The championship game will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Last Time in Florida
The 2014 Championship was the last MAAC Volleyball Championship to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. No. 2 seed Siena topped No. 1 seed Marist 3-2 in the championship game. That was the Saints’ most recent of their nine MAAC titles.
For the First Time
Iona captured the program’s first outright MAAC Volleyball Regular Season Title with a 16-2 league record. The Gaels won 12-straight MAAC games from September 29 – November 4. Iona has a bye to the semifinals in the championship.
Movin’ On Up
Canisius finished second (14-4) in the regular season and earned a bye to the semifinals. The Golden Griffins were picked eighth in the preseason poll. The 14 MAAC wins match the program record from 2006. The second-place finish is the best finish for the Griffs since joining the league in 1990.
Rider finished third in the final standings after being picked sixth in the preseason poll. The Broncs went 12-6 in league play; including going 9-1 in their last 10.
Wins Leader
Rider head coach Chris Feliciano picked up his 113th win at the school to become the program’s all-time leader in wins. He passed Nancy Roberts, who coached the Broncs from 1991-98.
Winning Ways
Fairfield’s win over Siena on November 3 assured the Stags of the program’s 23rd winning season in a row in MAAC play.
Closing Strong
Three different teams closed the season 8-2 or better in their last 10. Rider finished 9-1, and Canisius and Iona closed the season 8-2 over the final 10.
Streaks
Four different teams had win streaks of four or more games during league play. Canisius won four-straight games on two separate occasions. Iona had a nine-game winning streak, Rider reeled off eight in a row, and Fairfield won its first seven of league play.
NCAA Ranks
Four teams rank inside the top 40 in aces per set—Manhattan (9th), Canisius (20th), Rider (38th), and Iona (39th). Iona is 11th in assists per set at 13.45 and 16th in kills per set at 14.15. Iona and Rider are 27th and 28th respectively in opponents hitting percentage. Manhattan sits sixth in total aces with 192.
Sandra Lozanova of Manhattan is fifth in Division I at 0.57 aces per set. Anilee Sher from Rider is 15th. Iona’s setter Emma Rose is 11th in assists per set with 11.66. Defensively, Sofia Lopez Acosta of Canisius sits 22nd in digs per set at 5.36. Quinnipiac’s Kat Miller leads a quartet of MAAC players inside the top 45 in service aces.
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