10/16/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College women's volleyball is back to action this week at home with their Dig Pink game on Wednesday, October 16^th, against EPAC opponent Northampton CC.
 
First serve is set for 5:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The Falcons will be holding their Dig Pink Breast Cancer Awareness raffle throughout the night, encouraging fans and attendants to wear pink and donate money to support breast cancer victims and their families through the local charity, Michele's Ladies In Pink.
 
This is the second match of the season between Northampton and Lackawanna, with the Falcons winning the first matchup back on October 5^th. That was part of a tri-match sweep on the road for the Falcons, where they beat Delaware Tech in five sets, then knocked off Northampton in four sets. You can read the recap HERE.
 
Admission is free and open to the public for the night. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
About The Falcons
Lackawanna College (15-4, 8-2 EPAC) has won seven of ten matches, and is coming off a doubleheader split this past weekend against PSU Scranton and Lehigh Carbon CC. The Falcons knocked off the Nittany Lions from PSU Scranton in straight sets with little fuss, but fell to Lehigh Carbon CC in five sets. You can read the recap HERE.
 
Currently, the Falcons are 8-2 in EPAC play, tied with Lehigh Carbon CC atop the standings. The Cougars do own the tiebreaker over Lackawanna with a pair of wins against the Falcons. Each team has two EPAC matches remaining, and Northampton is on both of their remaining schedules. Northampton is 5-3 in EPAC play, sitting in third place.
 
This year, the Falcons are hitting at a collective .139 clip, averaging 10.36 kills per set this season, which is second among all Region XIX teams. The Falcons have 243 aces in 20 contests, averaging 3.2 aces per set, fifth in the region. They're also up to 17.2 digs per set so far this year. Opponents are hitting .118 on the year and have 108 aces vs. 169 errors on serve so far this season. The Falcons are at 0.9 blocks per set, and their opponents are at 1.6 blocks per set.
 
First-year outside hitter Jana Hofmann (Colorado Springs, CO) leads the squad this season with 210 kills through 20 matches. Hofmann is also first on the team with 65 service aces and is third on the team with 233 digs. She's hitting at a .192 clip, second on the team among players with 300 or more attacks, and she's averaging 2.8 kills per set. Hofmann has double-digit kills in eleven matches this season, hitting her season-high of 20 against Northampton on 10/5. She had 20 kills on .300 hitting, with 12 digs and a solo block, to help the Falcons beat Northampton. She had 18 kills in a five-set win against Penn State Hazleton on September 14^th, where she hit .200 and had three aces and 21 digs. Her most efficient hitting day came against Cecil, putting up 14 kills on .406. Hofmann was deadly on serve against Westchester, putting up a season-best 13 aces in the straight-set victory. Hofmann was recently named EPAC Player of the Week in women's volleyball, putting up a combined 40 kills, ten aces, and 32 digs in three matches last week. She had 15 kills and 23 digs in the loss to Lehigh Carbon CC this past weekend.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Aryana Girvan (Clarion, PA) is second on the team with 161 kills this year, hitting .1117 through 20 matches this year. That's third on the team among players with 300 or more attacks. Girvan has 43 service aces, second on the team, and 242 digs so far this season, also second on the squad. Girvan is averaging 2.21 kills per set, and has seven matches with double-digit kills this season. Girvan put up her season-high of 22 kills against Lehigh Carbon on 9/28, hitting .275 and putting up 16 digs and three service aces in the loss to the Cougars. She had 20 kills on September 14^th in a win against PSU Hazleton, on a season-high 59 attacks. She also had 22 digs. Girvan has ten matches with double-digit digs, putting up a season-high 26 digs against Montco on 10/2, while also putting up three kills and four aces. Her best serving match came against PSU Scranton this past weekend, where she had eight aces in the win. Girvan put down ten kills and had 19 digs in the loss to Lehigh Carbon CC. Against Northampton, she had just two kills and 16 digs in the victory.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Nadia Toth (Dalton, PA) is third on the team with 108 kills so far this season, hitting at .194, best on the team among players with 300 or more attacks. Toth has 15 service aces so far on the season, while last season she had 35 aces. She averages 1.64 kills per set, and her 28 total blocks this season are first on the team. She also has 51 digs this year. Toth had a team-best 12 kills against PSU Hazleton earlier this season, hitting .323 in the match. She has twice gone over double digits for kills, putting up ten in the win against Delaware Tech on September 13^th. She had a season-high five digs and three total blocks in the five-set win over PSU Hazleton on September 14^th. She had a season-best six total blocks, including four solo blocks, against Harrisburg Area CC. Toth had six kills and four digs in the win against Northampton CC on 10/5. She did not play this past weekend against PSU Scranton or Lehigh Carbon CC.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Alasiah Cater (Coatesville, PA) has double-digit kills on the year with 82 through her 18 matches. Carter is hitting .061 on the season, and has eleven total blocks this year, fourth on the team. She has 45 digs and nine block assists on the year. She hit her season-high ten kills in the win against Delaware Tech on 10/5, hitting .350 on 20 attacks, and putting up three digs. She had a season-high eleven digs and six kills in the win against Northampton CC on 10/6. Carter had 3 kills on 17 attacks I the win against Harcum on Tuesday. She did not play against PSU Scranton or Lehigh Carbon this past weekend.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Angelique Fuentes (Miami, FL) has 83 kills through her first 17 matches. She has 24 service aces, fourth on the team, 22 digs, and 12 total blocks on the year. Fuentes hit a season-high with nine kills in the win against Montco on September 7^th, where she hit .500. She had six kills on .444 hitting in the win against Westchester. She had five kills on .167 hitting, with five aces, in the win against Morris on September 10^th. Fuentes had eight kills on .318 hitting in the win against Northampton on 10/5. She has gone for five or more kills in seven of her last nine matches. Fuentes had a combined eight kills on 27 attempts against PSU Scranton and Lehigh Carbon. She led the team last year with over 200 kills. She averaged a little over 2.5 kills per set last year, and hit .150, second on the team. Fuentes had eleven matches with double-digits in kills, with a season-high 20 coming against Chesapeake last season. She had a season-best eight service aces against Delaware Tech earlier in the season and led last year's team with 51 service aces on the year. Fuentes was a first-team All-EPAC selection last season.
 
First-year middle hitter Neurdia Osias (Huntington Station, NY) has been the most efficient hitter for the Falcons this year, hitting at a .199 clip this season with 48 kills. Osias is second on the team with 18 total blocks this year, including 15 block assists. Neurdia had a combined 14 kills in two matches against PSU Hazleton and Cecil, including eight kills on .412 hitting against Hazleton at home. She followed that up with six kills on .545 hitting in the sweep over Cecil College. She was dominant at the net against Delaware Tech, putting up a season-high five total blocks, including four block assists, in the win for the Falcons on 9/13. She had eight kills in three sets against Harcum on 9/21 but left with an injury late in the third set. She had missed the last five matches before Tuesday's match at Harcum, where she had a kill for the Falcons in the win. Neurdia played all five sets and had four kills and four block assists against Lehigh Carbon this past weekend. She missed the match against Northampton on 10/5.
 
Sophomore setter Maddilyn Durfee (Buffalo, NY) leads the team with 378 assists on the year, and has 33 service aces, third on the team. Durfee also has 114 digs on the year, fifth on the team. She has reached double-digit assists in 18 of 20 matches this year, with a season-and-career-best 39 coming in the five-set loss to Cairn on September 19^th. Durfee also put up her season-high of eleven digs against the Highlanders. She had a combined 50 assists in the tri-match sweep for the Falcons against Montco and Westchester on September 7^th. Durfee had a combined 40 assists and three aces, along with 15 digs, in the sweep against Harcum and HACC, putting up 25 assists and ten digs to beat Harcum. She had a combined 50 assists, four aces, and eleven digs in the wins against Del Tech and Northampton on 10/5. She put up 19 assists, two aces, and six digs in the win against Northampton. She had a combined 26 assists, six aces, and six digs in the tri-match with PSU Scranton and Lehigh Carbon this past weekend. Durfee was the main table-setter for Lackawanna a year ago, putting up nearly 500 assists for the Falcons. Durfee averaged just under six assists per set, still managed to put up 40 kills, and had 36 service aces on the year. She had 13 matches with 20 or more assists, and seven matches with 30 or more. Her best came against Chesapeake, where she dished out 37 helpers for the Falcons. Durfee was third on the team with just under 200 digs on the year and had double-digit digs eight times. Her season-best was 20 digs, which she did twice in matches against Bergen CC and Montgomery County CC.
 
The head coach is Shelby Reese, now in her third season at the helm of the Falcons. Reese took over in 2022 and had to re-tool from a roster that was limited the year before, and a program that had been dormant after the pandemic before that. Reese helped the Falcons leap forward, winning their first match in nearly three years in her first season, then winning 14 matches and a Region XIX championship, the first in 17 years, in year two. Before coming to Lackawanna as the Athletic Academic Advisor in 2021, Reese was the head coach at Cedar Crest College for seven years. There, under similar circumstances, she took over a program that needed rehabbing, and turned the Falcons into a perennial conference contender, culminating in a 20-win season in her final year, which included a conference championship and an NCAA Division III tournament appearance. Reese is 32-27 in her time at Lackawanna and won 86 matches in seven years at Cedar Crest.
 
About Northampton CC
The Spartans (13-6, 5-3) come into the contest as winners in two straight matches, taking a tri-match in Philadelphia against CC of Philadelphia and Montco. Northampton swept past Philadelphia in a three-set sweep (25-13, 25-8, 25-13), then survived a wild five-set win against Montco (28-26, 25-20, 24-26, 23-25, 15-8). The Montco match was one where the Spartans nearly blew a 2-0 lead, then recovered to win in the fifth set.
 
Northampton averages 10 kills per set this season, hitting .124 this year. The Spartans have 224 aces, averaging 2.99 per set, and an average of 20 digs per set this year. The Spartans average just over four blocks per set. Their opponents are hitting around .216 this year, averaging over eight kills per set.
 
Sophomore blocker Kailen Felty leads the Spartans with 183 kills on .226 hitting this season. Felty averages 2.44 kills per set and is first on the team with 55 service aces. She also has 228 digs, third on the squad, and she has 179 total blocks, including 49 solo blocks, tops on the team by far. Felty has nine matches with double-digit kills, with her season-high in kills at 15 coming on September 26^th in a 3-1 win against Raritan Valley CC. Felty hit .186 and had three aces in the victory. She has hit double-digits in digs ten times, including a season-high 26 in a 3-1 loss to Harcum back on September 9^th. She had nine kills and five digs, along with nine block assists in the loss to Lackawanna on 10/5. Felty had a combined 18 kills, 15 service aces, 24 digs, and 16 total blocks, including six solos in the tri-match against CC of Philadelphia and Montco.
 
First-year outside hitter Lexi Womack is second on the team with 178 kills, a 2.37 per set average and .114 hitting so far this year. Womack has 46 aces this season, tied for second on the squad, and her 282 digs are also second this year. Womack has nine matches with double-digit kills, getting double digits in six of her last nine matches. Her season-best was 19 kills on .111 hitting in the five-set win last weekend against Montco. She has hit double-digits in digs in 15 matches, putting up a season-high of 28 digs against Montco last weekend. She had a season-best nine aces in a sweep over the CC of Philadelphia on 9/28. She had a combined 22 kills, six aces, and 41 digs in the wins against Philly and Montco last weekend, and had four kills two aces, and 20 digs in the loss to Lackawanna on 10/5.
 
First year player Alyssa Eilenberger is the third Northampton player with over 100 kills, putting up 161 so far this season in 18 matches. Eilenberger is hitting .159 this year and has 24 service aces. She also has 140 digs this season, along with 54 total blocks. Eilenberger has gone over 10 kills seven times this year, hitting her season-high of 17 kills on three separate occasions. She did it first back on September 7^th against HACC, putting up 17 on .238 hitting in a 3-1 win. She did it again against Harcum on 9/28, putting up 17 on .167 hitting and with 14 digs in a five-set win. She did it for a third time against HACC, again, this time on .400 hitting with two aces and 12 digs in the five-set win on 9/30. Eilenberger has gone over double-digit digs seven times overall, digging out a season-high 17 points on 10/12 against Montco. She had a combined 19 kills, three aces, and those 17 digs against Philadelphia and Montco last weekend. Eilenberger had eleven kills and nine digs in the loss to Lackawanna on 10/5.
 
Sophomore setter Leana Angelone leads the squad with 601 assists through 19 matches, an 8.01 per set average. She has 168 digs, fourth on the team, and has 46 kills this year. Angelone has gone for double-digit assists in 18 of 19 matches this year, posting her season-high of 54 helpers in the five-set win against Harrisburg Area on 9/30. She also had three kills, an ace, and eleven digs in the win. She had a season-high eight kills to open the season against Genesee CC back on August 24^th. Angelone has had 30+ assists on eleven separate occasions this season. She has gone for double-digit digs in eleven matches this year. She had a combined 64 assists, including 46 against Montco alone, in the tri-match this past weekend. She had 27 assists, a kill, and ten digs in the loss to Lackawanna back on 10/5.
 
Sophomore libero Mackenzie Davis is second on the team with 46 aces this year, while digging out 383 attempts, first on the squad. Davis has twice hit her season-high of eight aces, doing it against Delaware County on September 23^rd, and again against CC of Philadelphia on 9/28. She has gone for double-digit digs in 17 of 19 matches this year, putting up her season-high of 36 in the loss to Nassau back on August 24^th. She had a combined two aces, six assists, and 37 digs in the tri-match wins over Philadelphia and Montco last weekend. Against Lackawanna on 10/5, she had 27 digs, three assists, a kill, and one ace in the four-set loss.
 
The head coach for the Spartans is Rachel Aquila, now in her fourth season in charge. Aquila took her lumps in 2021, her first year, going 3-10, but then rounded the Spartans into shape the last two seasons, rattling off 34 combined wins and taking back-to-back EPAC and Region XIX championships. The Spartans twice qualified for the NJCAA national tournament. Aquila is a Lehigh Valley native, graduating from Nazareth HS and helping the Spartans as a player reach the 2015 and 2016 national tournament, winning All-Tournament honors in 2016. She is 50-21 in her time at Northampton.
 
The Match-Up
First serve is set for 5:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The Falcons will be holding their Dig Pink Breast Cancer Awareness raffle throughout the night, encouraging fans and attendants to wear pink and donate money to support breast cancer victims and their families through the local charity, Michele's Ladies In Pink.
 
Admission is free and open to the public on Wednesday night. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Lackawanna's next contest will be on Friday, October 18^th, as the Falcons host non-region opponent Hagerstown CC inside the Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 6:00pm ET, and it will be Sophomore Night for the Falcons.