9/24/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Women's volleyball will look to climb back to .500 on the season when the Falcons host Region XIX Division III opponent, Union College (NJ), on Thursday evening in a cross-divisional match-up inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium.
 
Compare the Teams
 
LC           Stat                       UC
9.5         Kills Per Set         6.2
.145       Hitting %             .082
8.0         Assists Per Set    5.6
2.9         Aces Per Set       3.6
1.1         Blocks Per Set    0.9
 
About the Falcons
Lackawanna (5-5) has won two straight matches, with the latest win coming against Harcum College on the road last Thursday. The Falcons won in straight sets and got 15 kills from sophomore Jana Hofmann (Colorado Springs, CO), who also had ten digs and five aces. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
Hofmann, an All-American last year, leads the Falcons in several categories this season. Jana's 15 kills against Harcum are a season-high, and it came while hitting .628% on the night. Hofmann has gone over double-digit kills in four of her last five matches. She's hitting .213 in that span, and she has 22 aces in those five matches.
 
First-year middle blocker Ciona Braziel (Fort Worth, TX) is second on the team with 71 kills this season. Braziel leads the Falcons at .222 hitting this year, and she's also the best blocker on the squad with 19 total blocks. Braziel has gone over double-digits in kills in three matches this year. Her season-high 17 kills came in a loss to Northampton CC back on September 5^th.
 
First-year hitter Aryanna Brown (Chester, NY) is third on the team at 62 kills this year, hitting .168 this season. Brown has 13 aces, third on the team, and she has 44 digs on the year. Brown has two matches with double-digit kills on the year, posting her season-best at13 kills in the win against Morris back on September 9^th.
 
Lackawanna Leaders
Points – Hofmann (119.5)
Points Per Set – Hofmann (3.73)
Kills – Hofmann (88)
Kills Per Set – Hofmann (2.75)
Hitting % - Braziel (.222)
Assists – Reed (124)
Assists Per Set – Reed (3.88)
Service Aces – Hofmann (27)
Aces Per Set – Hofmann (0.84)
Digs – Hofmann (108)
Digs Per Set – Hofmann (3.38)
Reception % - Dineen (.939)
Solo Blocks – Braziel (7)
Block Assists – Braziel (12)
Total Blocks – Brazile (19)
 
The head coach is Shelby Reese, now in her fourth season in charge of the Falcons. Reese won a Region XIX championship in her second season back in 2023, the first region title for the Falcons since 2006. She helped lead the Falcons to a 17-win season in 2024, and Hofmann was named a second-team All-American on the year, the first All-American in program history. Reese, who originally joined Lackawanna as an Academic Advisor, was the head coach at Cedar Crest College for seven seasons, going 86-63 in her time there and helping the Falcons make the NCAA tournament in her final year in 2021. Reese played collegiately at Keystone College, where she is inside the top ten all-time in kills in a year, career kills, and total attacks, as well as career digs and service aces. Reese is 37-37 in her time at Lackawanna College.
 
About the Owls
Union (7-4) comes into the match after winning five of their last six matches, including a 3-2 win against Morris on Wednesday, September 24^th. In that match, Union twice battled back from losing a set to send things to a fifth and final set, winning 15-10 to take the five-set match. In terms of common opponents, Union swept Montco and was swept by both Northampton CC and Harford CC.
 
First-year player Neika Michel leads the Owls this year at 93 kills on the season, averaging 2.91 per set this year. Michel is hitting .177, second on the team, and she has 19 aces on the year, third on the squad this season. Her 60 digs are second on the team. Michel has five matches with ten or more kills, posting a season-high 25 kills in a five set win against Nassau back on September 13^th.
 
Sophomore Angeles Rosario is second on the team, posting 47 kills this year, averaging 1.31 per set. Rosario is hitting .080 on the year and she has six service aces on the year. Rosario has one match with double-digit kills this season, posting 12 kills in her first match of the season against Frederick CC on August 29^th.
 
First-year blocker Maya Antonie is third on the team at 27 kills on the year, averaging exactly one kill per set this season. Antonie is hitting .239 this year, tops on the team, and she leads the Owls in blocks with eleven solo stuffs and 12 total blocks. Her season-high is six kills this season, posting that in the three-set sweep against Montco. She has twice hit a season-high four blocks this year.
 
Union Leaders
Points – Michel (118.5)
Points Per Set – Michel (3.7)
Kills – Michel (93)
Kills Per Set – Michel (2.91)
Hitting % - Antonie (.239)
Assists – Kukielo (116)
Assists Per Set – Kukielo (3.41)
Service Aces – Kukielo (32)
Aces Per Set – Kukielo (0.94)
Digs – Puero Zamora (136)
Digs Per Set – Puero Zamora (3.78)
Solo Blocks – Antonie (11)
Block Assists – Peti-Frere (4)
Total Blocks – Antonie (12)
 
The head coach for Union is Jarod Crowe, in his first season in charge of the Owls. Crowe was named as the head coach after serving as the men's assistant coach in the spring 2025 season, helping the Owls to a Region XIX title. Crowe, a Union native, has spent years coaching in high school and elite club programs. He has spent time in charge of both Union High School boys and girls programs, as well as St. Thomas Aquinas HS. Crowe played volleyball at Union HS, then went to Saint Elizabeth University, earning All-Conference honors and a Communications degree.
 
The Match
First serve is set for 6:00pm ET inside the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. Tickets can be purchased at the door for both adults ($10) and students 12 years and younger ($5), as well as seniors aged 65 and up ($5). There are NO cash sales options for tickets. You can also purchase tickets online at lackawannafalcons.com/tickets. Lackawanna College employees and students can gain free admission with a valid Lackawanna College ID.
 
For those who can't make it in person, there will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play.
 
Next Up
Lackawanna College is back at home for a tri-match this coming Saturday, September 27^th, when the Falcons play host to Raritan Valley CC and Monroe University at the historic Lackawanna College Student Union gymnasium. The day's schedule will be:
 
10am: Lackawanna College vs. Raritan Valley CC
12pm: Raritan Valley CC vs. Monroe University
2pm: Lackawanna College vs. Monroe University
 
Tickets are available at lackawannafalcons.com/tickets. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.