Date:  Friday, Nov. 9, 8:00 p.m.
Location: Lumsden Arena | Amherst, N.Y.
Game Links:  Watch Live | Live Stats 
Twitter: @LIUPostPioneers 
LIU Post Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Molloy Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats 
 
THE FIRST LOOK

The LIU Post women's volleyball team (19-12, 9-5 ECC) captured the No. 3 seed in the East Coast Conference tournament after posting a 9-5 record in league play this season. LIU Post finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division II East Region poll and Pioneers closed out the regular season with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-17) win over Queen's College on Saturday, Nov. 3.
 
Molloy (19-7, 11-3 ECC) enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed with an 11-3 record in conference play. The Mavericks earned the No. 4 ranking in the NCAA Division II East Region and wrapped up regular season play with a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21) win over New York Institute of Technology on Saturday, Nov. 4.

INSIDE THE SERIES
 
The Pioneers have enjoyed considerable success against Molloy over the years as they have a 28-8 all-time record against the Lions. Despite LIU Post's overall success the Pioneers will be looking to avenge a pair of recent losses to Molloy as the Lions swept the season series. On Saturday, Oct. 6 Molloy defeated the Pioneers 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) and on Friday, Nov. 2 the Lions prevailed 3-0 (25-21, 29-27, 26-24).

SCOUTING REPORT
 
LIU Post


A strong service game has become a staple of the LIU Post women's volleyball program and 2018 was no different as it led the ECC and finished inside the national top-10 in both categories; it's 249 service aces was second in NCAA Division II and its 2.18 aces per set was ninth in the nation.
 
The Pioneers also led the ECC in kills with 1457 and finished third in the conference in kills per set with 12.78. Those numbers also had the Pioneers 40^th and 100^th nationally.
 
Along with service aces and kills the Pioneers also topped the ECC in assists with 1346 and were third in assists per set with 11.81. With 1915 digs on the season LIU Post was second in the ECC and fourth in digs per set with 16.80.
 
Individually, senior outside hitter Rachel Londot, the 2017 ECC Player of the Year, accumulated 323 kills and averaged 3.05 kills per set to lead the team and finish second and fourth in the conference. Londot's 49 service aces rank second in both the team and conference while her 0.44 service aces per set rank second on the team and third in the ECC. With 378 digs on the season she also ranks second on the team and seventh in the conference. Her 3.94 digs per set average is also second on the team and seventh in the ECC.
 
Junior setter Kassie Akouri-Tejedor leads the Pioneers in assists with 608 and assists per set with 6.08; those numbers have her ranked sixth and seventh in the ECC. Junior libero Abby Eckhardt leads LIU Post in digs with 452 and digs per set with 4.26 and is third and fifth in the ECC in those categories.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Asiya Way leads LIU Post and the ECC in blocks per set with 0.85. The Pioneers are led in total blocks by junior middle hitter Lea Brady with 63, a total that has her tied for fifth in the ECC.
 
Junior outside hitter Samantha Colombo leads the ECC and is tied for fourth in the nation in service aces with 60. Her 0.60 service aces per set also leads the ECC and is tied for second in NCAA Division II.
 


Molloy
 
The Lions finished the regular season ranked second in the ECC in assists per set with 12.09 and fifth in assist with 1100. Their 12.79 kills per set had them fourth in the conference and their 450 errors had them sixth. Their .209 attacking percentage was second best in the ECC as was their 18.33 digs per set.
 
Individually, redshirt junior outside hitter Carly Banks and sophomore middle hitter Kacey Affrunti are ranked second and third in the ECC in kills per set with 3.14 and 3.13. Junior middle hitter Devon Hagerstrom is second in attacking percentage as she hit .319 on the season.
 
Hagertrom also leads Molloy in total blocks with 62 and blocks per set with 0.71.
 
Junior setter Sophia Smith leads the ECC in assists per set with an average of 10.20 and assists with 928 that has her ranked second in the conference.
 
Sophomore defensive specialist Jessica Fischetti leads Molloy and is ranked second in the ECC in digs per set with 5.40. Her 491 digs are also ranked second in the conference.
 
 
UP NEXT
Should the Pioneers win they will play for the ECC Championship against the winner of No. 1 Daemen College (19-10, 13-1) and No. 4 The University of Bridgeport (14-12, 8-6) on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 6:00 p.m. inside Lumsden Gymnasium.