CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
The Canisius volleyball program swept the Iona Gaels in three sets (25-19, 25-16, 25-12), in New Rochelle, N.Y. on Saturday. Pacing the team was Sara Wesley‘s efficient 12 kills, as the Blue and Gold improved to 5-12 and 3-4 in the MAAC, while Iona dropped to 7-12 and 5-3 in conference play.
The Golden Griffins excelled in its offensive efficiency as the squad tallied 43 kills and just seven errors for a .375 hitting percentage. Iona struggled to gain traction offensively, tallying 26 kills and misfiring 24 times for a .019 attack percentage.
Canisius outlatesd the Gaels, 25-19 in the first set, and seemed to gain momentum as the match continued, tallying a 25-16 win in the second set and a 25-12 victory in the final stanza.
Wesley continued her ascent as one of the league’s top players, tallying 12 kills and just one error in 21 attempts for a hitting percentage of .524. Claire Leonard and Sam Zebuth were next on the team in kills, as the pair both had seven.
The Griffs’ defense kept Iona off kilter all match, as Jamie Smith paced the team with just eight kills, while team standout Claire Archibald had just six kills and a -.107 hitting percentage. Archibald also led Iona in errors, misfiring nine times.
Cassidy Ceriani helped direct the efficient Canisius attack, tallying 32 kills and was one dig short of the double-double, with nine.
Meanwhile Sofia Lopez Acosta continued to cement herself into the libero role, tallying a team-high 14 kills in the win.
THOUGHTS FROM COACH VAZQUEZ
“As a group we made a conscience decision to focus on the team goals which included working together, and focusing forward,” head coach Lenika Vazquez said. “Sara did an excellent job in transition which allowed her to be a big part of the team’s offense today. Our back row did a great job of keeping us in system during long rallies, which allowed us to use both our middles. Sara also was very strong defensively at the net which was what we needed.”
GAME NOTES
• Canisius is now 16-29 all-time against the Gaels.
• The Griffs are now 6-4 in the last 10 matches against Iona.
• With its attack percentage of .375, it marks the highest attack percentage the team has tallied since Nov. 4, 2012, when the Griffs hit .554 against Saint Peter’s.
• Wesley has recorded attack percentages of .500 or greater in four of her last six contests.
• Today marked the eighth time Wesley has tallied double-figure kills in a match.
• Wesley’s 12 kills against the Gaels is one shy of her season-best total set against Siena (13).
UP NEXT
Canisius wraps up its conference weekend with a road contest against Manhattan on Sunday. The match starts at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on MAAC.TV.
