ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team is back in action on Thursday, September 15th, against the Pennsylvania College of Technology at Speidel Gymnasium. The Soaring Eagles and Wildcats are set to begin the non-conference contest at 6:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Elmira opened the 2016 with a home tri-match against Alfred State College and Cazenovia College at Speidel Gymnasium. After dropping the first match of the day 3-0 to the Pioneers, the Soaring Eagles responded in a big way with a straight-sets victory, 25-13, 25-19, 25-20. EC was outright dominant from the get-go against the Wildcats, setting the tone for the three-set sweep. In the first set, the Purple and Gold registered an attack percentage of .300 with 15 kills while limiting Cazenovia's offense to a minus-.238 attacking percentage and no kills.
 
SCHIEDER SHINES ON OPENING DAY: Heading into the 2016 season, head coach Rhonda Faunce had high expectations for second-year hitter Natalie Schieder '19. The Alden, New York, native appeared to be ready to answer the call on Saturday, as she led EC with 29 kills and 21 digs. In the 3-0 win over Caz, the reigning Empire 8 All-Conference Honorable Mention selection finished just one kill shy of her single-match career high with 19, while she picked up just her sixth career match with an attacking percentage of .400 or greater. The 19-kill, 15-dig double-double is surely a sign of the success Schieder has planned for her sophomore season.
 
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS: The Soaring Eagles saw a handful of members from the Class of 2020 make their collegiate debuts in the home tri-match. Local product McKenzie Slaven '20 earned starts in both matches, recording seven kills and 13 digs. First-year Soaring Eagle Cassie Potter '20 served as the team's libero in both matches and accumulated nine digs.
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: The Pennsylvania College of Technology has struggled out of the gate in the early portion of the 2016 campaign, with a 2-6 record through their first eight contests. The first win came against Summit University on September 3rd, by a 3-1 final score, and four days later, Penn College handed Penn State-Schuylkill a 3-0 loss. However, the two-win total is already double what the Wildcats managed to secure a year ago after posting a dismal 1-25 record. Breana Hayward, a 5-foot 9-inch middle hitter, and Jordyn Smeltzer, a 5-foot 5-inch outside hitter - both of whom are freshmen - currently lead the Penn College offense with 58 and 41 kills, respectively. The latter also has a team-high 79 digs.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Since the 2011 season, the Soaring Eagles and Wildcats have squared off six times, with Elmira emerging victorious in all six matches. That includes a 2-0 mark inside Speidel Gymnasium. In 2015, the Purple and Gold opened the year by topping Penn College on the road in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with relative ease, sweeping the match in three sets: 25-17, 25-11, 25-14.
 
UP NEXT: The Soaring Eagles will hit the road for a short trip to Ithaca College in their next match on Wednesday, September 21st, at 6:00 p.m. The battle with the Bombers is the first Empire 8 Conference contest of the season for both teams.