Volleyball Returns To NEC Action At LIU Thursday

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (1-14, 1-2 NEC) at
Long Island University Blackbirds (3-12, 0-0 NEC)
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 - 5 p.m.
Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center - Brooklyn, N.Y.

Bobcats Resume NEC Play At Long Island
The Quinnipiac University volleyball team returns to Northeast Conference play with a Thursday evening match at Long Island. The five-time defending Northeast Conference Champion Blackbirds have uncharacteristically stumbled to a 3-12 start. They'll play their NEC opener against the Bobcats, before playing host to the Battle of Brooklyn against city foe St. Francis (N.Y.) at 7:30.

Live Stats Available
Live stats for Thursday's match will be available at no cost. The live stats can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate link on the volleyball schedule at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

Scouting the Long Island Blackbirds
The Blackbirds (3-12) feature a potent attack led by 2008 All-NEC First Team selections Svetlana Simic and Martina Racic. Simic has a team-high 216 kills, while Racic, last year's NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, has tallied 156 kills. Simic also leads the Blackbirds in service aces (13) and is second in digs (166). Racic is tied for the team lead in blocks (36) with Breanna Cullity and Ashley Rice. LIU's setters are interchangeable, as Dunja Milin (255 assists) has edged Vanessa Gemignani (252 assists) thus far for the team lead in assists. Chelsey Stanton has a team-high 184 digs.

Double-Double Week Week
Kelby Carey compiled three consecutive double-doubles from Sept. 23-26. She started the streak with 11 kills and 16 digs at Central Connecticut on Sept. 23. She then compiled 12 kills and 12 digs, on the morning Sept. 26 at Yale, before posting a 15-kill, 14-dig performance that evening against CCSU.

Riker and Spiker
Logan Riker leads the Bobcats with 214 digs, while Kelby Carey has a team-high 154 kills.

Reaching New Heights
Several Quinnipiac student-athletes established season highs in the Bobcats' 3-0 sweep of St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sept. 20. Kelby Carey eclipsed her prior season-and-career-high with 16 kills, while Alyssa Naylor hit a season-best .588. Kayla Lawler established a new season-high with 40 assists, while Chelsey Pachoud had a season-best 12 kills to go along with 11 digs to compile her first career double-double.

Riker Rakes In All-Tournament Honors
Freshman Logan Riker 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 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 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 Northeast Conference action this weekend, when they travel to Western Pennsylvania to take on Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.). The Bobcats face the Colonials Saturday in Moon Township, Pa., before taking on the Red Flash on Sunday. Both matches are slated for 2 p.m. starts.