Volleyball Takes Part In Columbia Invitational This Weekend

2009 Columbia Invitational
All Matches at Levien Gymnasium - New York, N.Y.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-4) vs.
Stony Brook University Seawolves (1-7)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 - 11:30 a.m.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-4) at
Columbia University Lions (1-2)
Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 - 7 p.m.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-4) vs.
Marist College Red Foxes (5-3)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 - 2 p.m.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-4) vs.
Iona College Gaels (1-6)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 - 5 p.m.

Bobcats Play Four In NYC This Weekend
The Quinnipiac University volleyball team will play four matches in the Columbia Invitational this weekend in New York City. The Bobcats open play Friday with an 11:30 a.m. match against Stony Brook before a 7 p.m. night cap against host Columbia. Quinnipiac will then play Marist at 2 p.m. on Saturday before concluding the weekend with a 5 p.m. match against Iona. The Bobcats are coming off a 3-0 loss at Dartmouth on Tuesday.

Live Video (Columbia Match) and Live Stats Available
Live video will be available for Friday night's match against Columbia through the Lions' athletics website, www.gocolumbialions.com. Columbia requires a monthly fee of $12.95 to access its video feed. Fans can also follow the action with live stats for all matches at no cost. Both the live video and live stats are available by clicking on the appropriate links on the volleyball schedule at quinnipiacbobcats.com.

Scouting the Stony Brook Seawolves
While Stony Brook has fallen in seven of eight matches so far this season, they've taken four of the seven losses to five sets and earned a convincing 3-0 win against Colgate. Harmonie Calinda leads the Seawolves in kills by a wide margin with 143, good for 4.21 kills per set. Calinda's 117 digs are bested only by Jeannette Gibbs' 122. Gibbs' 11 services aces are also a team high. Ashley Headen has contributed a team-high 24 blocks, while Corinne Perry (177 assists) and Kelsey Sullivan (162 assists) have shared setter duties.

Scouting the Columbia Lions
The Lions (1-2) split a pair of matches against UNC-Wilmington and fell to Niagara in their first three matches of the season last weekend at the UNC-Wilmington Invitational. Meghan Gaughn leads the Lions with 47 kills, while Alex Marchyshyn (52 assists) and Kelsey Musselman (41 assists) have shared setter duties. Ellie Thomas has a team-high 47 digs, while Sarah Thompson's 15 blocks are a team high.

Scouting the Marist Red Foxes
The Red Foxes (5-3) had won five straight matches, including a 15-1 sets margin, prior to a 3-2 setback against Army. Marist features a balanced attack, with three players totaling at least 72 kills. Joanna Foss leads the group with 84. Dawn Jan has controlled the offense with 244 assists, while Lindsey Schmid has been a defensive stalwart with 15 blocks. Schmid's serve is also to be feared, as she's compiled 26 service aces. Emily Brosky has totaled a team-high 110 digs.

Scouting the Iona Gaels
Iona (1-6) has fallen in each of its losses by a 3-0 margin, while winning by a 3-0 margin in its only victory. Colleen Genett (54 kills) and Rachel Whitten (51 kills) lead the Iona attack, while Nicole Tamburri has a team-high 113 assists. Allison Nieters' 92 digs lead the Gaels, while Genett's 14 blocks are a team high.

Riker Rakes In All-Tournament Honors
Freshman Logan Riker (Bowling Green, Ohio) earned St. John's Classic All-Tournament Team recognition in her first weekend as a collegiate volleyball player after registering a team-high 34 digs on the weekend. Included in the feat was a 16-dig performance in the season-opener against Fordham.

Carey-ing The Load
Sophomore Kelby Carey (Surfside, Calif.) had a team-high 30 kills during the St. John's Classic, including a career-high 14 against Fordham.

Pachoud Packs A Punch
Freshman Chelsey Pachoud (Riverview, Fla.) compiled 22 kills (2nd-team) and 29 digs (2nd-team) at the St. John's Classic. She finished the weekend with a pair of double-digit dig efforts.

Bobcats Boast Academic Success
The Bobcats were honored by the Northeast Conference and the American Volleyball Coaches Association last season after compiling a 3.61 team grade-point average. The Bobcats' GPA was tops in the NEC, while the AVCA honored QU with its Team Academic Award, given annually to teams that compile at least a 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale, for the third consecutive year.

Bobcats Bring Back Six
The Bobcats return six letter winners this season. Leading the group is graduate student Erin Overdevest (Bridgeton, N.J.), who missed last season due to injury. Senior Kristen Corinaldesi (Port Washington, N.J.) returns to the Bobcats after serving in a reserve capacity last season. Sophomores Stephanie Biediger (Houston, Texas), Kelby Carey, Kayla Lawler (Richmond, Ind.) and Alyssa Naylor (San Diego, Calif.) all started for the Bobcats in 2008, giving Quinnipiac an experienced returning core of players.

On Deck
The Bobcats return to action Friday, Sept. 18, when they travel to West Point, N.Y., to take part in the West Point Challenge. Quinnipiac faces Morgan State (10 a.m.) and Army (12 p.m.).