Elmira College (6-3, 0-1 Empire 8) vs. Nazareth College (8-6, 0-1 Empire 8)
Saturday, September 26, 2015 | 1:30 P.M. | Lambros Arena – Oneonta, NY
Live Coverage
 
Elmira College (6-3, 0-1 Empire 8) at Hartwick College (4-11, 0-0 Empire 8)
Saturday, September 26, 2015 | 4:00 P.M. | Lambros Arena – Oneonta, NY
Live Coverage
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team kicks off a three-game road stretch against Empire 8 Conference opponents this weekend when it travels to Oneonta, NY, for the first Empire 8 Crossover of the season. The Soaring Eagles will kick off Saturday's action against Nazareth College at 1:30 p.m. and will conclude the day's action against crossover host Hartwick College at 4:00 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Soaring Eagles had a difficult time establishing a rhythm in its last contest against Alfred State on Wednesday evening in Speidel Gymnasium. Elmira jumped out to early leads in all three sets, but was not able to close out the visiting Pioneers, falling in straight sets. The Purple and Gold could not get the hitting untracked, swinging at just a .096 clip in the contest. Ashley Heiman '16 paced all hitters in the contest with a match-high nine kills, while Kelsey Ross '16 and Natalie Schieder '19 finished with six kills apiece. Taylor Kaznowski '19 continued to establish herself in the Soaring Eagles 6-2 alignment, finishing with 17 assists.
 
All-Time Series
It has been a tale of two series for Elmira against this weekend's opponents. The Soaring Eagles have dominated the recent series against Hartwick, posting a 19-1 record against the crossover hosts dating back to 2001. The results haven't been as favorable in the other matchup, as Elmira is 3-17 against the Golden Flyers over the same timeframe. The Purple and Gold's last victory over Nazareth came in straight sets on September 24, 2011.
 
Cold Swings
After getting off to hot start earlier this season, posting hitting percentages of .200 or better in four consecutive matches to race out to a 5-0 record to begin the year, Elmira has struggled in that department as of late. The .096 hitting percentage posted on Wednesday night marked the fifth consecutive match in which the Soaring Eagles failed to top the .200 mark. The Purple and Gold have accumulated 125 attacking errors over that span. Consequently, the team has posted a 2-3 record over the most recent stretch. Elmira will look to get back on track in a pair of huge Empire 8 contests this weekend.
 
Kaznowski Sets the Tone
First-year setter Taylor Kaznowski '19 has been a huge piece to the Elmira puzzle this season. She has posted a double-digit assists in every game this season, topping the 20-plus mark four times and twice eclipsing 30 helpers in a match. She has also been tactical and precise when she has gone against the typical run of play with her attacks. She currently is hitting .273, notching 10 kills on her 22 attacks this season. She also has been quite effective in her serving game ranking in a tie for sixth in the conference with a .46 aces per set average, tallying 16 on the season.
 
Scouting Nazareth
It has been an up-and-down start to the season for the Golden Flyers, who finished runner-up in the Empire 8 Championship a season ago. After rattling off four consecutive wins earlier this month, Nazareth has posted a 3-4 record over its last seven contests and enters the weekend with a 8-6 mark overall. The Golden Flyers fell in five sets to Houghton College in their Empire 8 opener on Wednesday evening, dropping the final two sets after taking a 2-1 lead. Cady Messmer leads the Nazareth attack, ranking third in the Empire 8 with 150 kills on the year, while sitting in eighth with a 2.83 kills per set average. Messmer has also been a terror for opponents while on serve this season. She currently is in a tie for the Empire 8 lead with 32 aces. The attack flows through Maureen Thayer who ranks third in the conference with 411 assists.
 
Scouting Hartwick
The Hawks have gotten off to a slow start to the 2015 campaign, entering the weekend with a 4-11 overall record on the year. The team has been better of late, rebounding from a five-match losing streak with straight-set wins in each of their last two matches against D'Youville College and SUNY Cobleskill, respectively. Hitting has been an issue for Hartwick, as the team has averaged just a .101 success percentage on the season. Kayla Baril leads the squad with 130 kills on the year, while her counterpart on the outside Hannah Armstrong has added 115 kills of her own. Rachel Jones has been an intimidating presence at the net-front for the Hawks, entering the weekend with an Empire 8 leading 13 solo blocks and 45 total blocks on the year.
 
Looking Ahead
Following the weekend, the Soaring Eagles will remain on the road in Empire 8 play, as Elmira will take-on Alfred University at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30^th.