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Clarkson University Athletics

CU Volleyball Preview - North Country Invitational (9/6-7)

By: September 4, 2019
BarreraLopezCel2019a

Women's Volleyball | 9/4/2019 5:02:00 PM

After a flawless run in Colorado, the Clarkson University Volleyball team will be back on its home turf this weekend as the Golden Knights play host, along with St. Lawrence University, for the North Country Invitational.

2019 North Country Invitational Tournament Page
Live Stats/Live Video
Clarkson Schedule:
vs. Franklin & Marshall (9/6, 6:30 pm)
vs. Wheaton (MA) (9/7, 1:00 pm)
vs. D'Youville (9/7, 5:00 pm)

The Series: Clarkson has played its three weekend opponents only four times combined in previous years. The Golden Knights lost in five sets to Franklin & Marshall last season, defeated Wheaton in straight sets back in 2015, and beat D'Youville twice, with those matches occurring in the 2004 and 2008 campaigns.

Key Stats for Clarkson (4-0): It's early, but digs are down for the Golden Knights this season which means one thing as far as Clarkson is concerned: offense is up. It's generally the same defense for the Green and Gold, led by 2018 AVCA First-Team All-American Kate Isaksen, but points are going a little quicker to drop the numbers. Isaksen averaged 5.00 digs per set in Colorado and was followed by outside hitter Kristin Werdine at 3.21. Werdine, the Liberty League Rookie of the Week, also is tied for the team lead in kills at 2.64 per set along with Rachel Reusch. A senior from Buffalo, NY, Reusch is just five kills short of reaching 1000 for her collegiate career, which would make her just the 12th player in program history to hit that mark. Clarkson's serve game and serve receive was also impressive over the opening weekend, as the team posted 33 aces and was aced a measly 10 times in 14 sets. The Knights also jumped into the polls with their solid opening showing. Clarkson was unnoticed in the AVCA Pre-season poll, but received 150 votes in the second poll, just outside the top 25 nationally.

Key Stats for Franklin & Marshall (3-0): Like Clarkson, the Diplomats are also garnering votes in the AVCA Coaches' Poll. An NCAA Tournament team a year ago, going 23-8 overall, Franklin & Marshall is hitting an impressive .262 overall as a team thanks to a strong run of hitters and the steady play of setter Grace Maggiore. She leads the team with 9.17 assists, 3.08 digs, and 0.92 aces per set in the early going, while Delaney Hahn (3.00 kills per set), Allison Franke (2.67 kills per set) and Casey Morrow (.400 hitting percentage) are doing the most damage on offense.

Key Stats for Wheaton (2-1): Junior hitter Julia Palomba averaged 3.00 kills and a .198 hitting percentage last year, but if the first weekend of the season is any indication, she has taken the leap from good to potential all-star. Palomba produced 4.22 kills per set with a .254 hitting percentage in her first three matches with 14 kills against Pratt and 17 kills versus Buffalo State. Bailey Madrzyk also notched 1.67 kills per set with a .239 hitting percentage and Becca Houghton made sure to find Palomba frequently, recording 7.25 assists per set.

Key Stats for D'Youville (0-2): It was a brief weekend for the Spartans as the team played one match per day at home, and D'Youville won just a single set in that time frame. Sarah Wittek leads the team with 1.43 kills per set while Brianna Damstetter and Carly Milleville each contributed 1.14 kills per set. Desiree Waters, who averaged better than four digs per set last year, notched 2.86 digs per set in the first two matches of the year. McKenna Cartonia and Angela Filkov each picked up 2.57 assists per set.


 
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Players Mentioned

Kate Isaksen

#17 Kate Isaksen

L
5' 10"
Senior
Rachel Reusch

#12 Rachel Reusch

MH
6' 2"
Senior
Kristin Werdine

#16 Kristin Werdine

OH
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kate Isaksen

#17 Kate Isaksen

5' 10"
Senior
L
Rachel Reusch

#12 Rachel Reusch

6' 2"
Senior
MH
Kristin Werdine

#16 Kristin Werdine

5' 8"
Freshman
OH