ELMIRA N.Y -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team looks to get off to a hot start in conference play when the Soaring Eagles travel to Ithaca College for their Empire 8 Conference opener on Wednesday, September 21st, at 6:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: The Soaring Eagles rebounded after losing the first two sets, to win the match 3-2, in non-conference action against Penn College. The Purple and Gold had to claw out a close third set, 25-22, to keep their hopes alive in the match, both being career highs. Natalie Schieder '19 led the team with an impressive double-double, collecting 31 kills and 27 digs. EC used good offense to beat Penn College, as the Soaring Eagles outhit the Wildcats .203-to-.134 overall. The comeback was the first for the Soaring Eagles after trailing 2-0 since a 3-2 comeback victory over SUNY-Delhi in 2015.

SOPHOMORES IMPRESS: Sophomores Schieder and Taylor Kaznowski '19 continue to sits atop of the E8 season rankings. Schieder leads the conference in kills per set (10.9), while Kaznowski leads the league in assist per set (5.45). Getting this early season production out of two young players is an added bonus for the Soaring Eagles, when they open their conference schedule tonight against the Bombers.     

SCOUTING THE BOMBERS: Ithaca has gotten off to a good start to the season, coming into this matchup with an overall record of 10-3, the most recent being a 3-0 loss to 13th-ranked Eastern University, in the final of the F&M Scramble Tournament. The Ithaca women also own two wins this season over top-20 ranked teams. Before the loss to the Eagles, the Bombers had won their previous nine matchups. Ithaca is led defensively by Amanda Cerruti and Tara Stilwell. Cerruti leads the E8 in blocks with 56 and Stilwell leads the conference in digs with 253. Joelle Goldstein has paced the Bombers' offense through the early stage of the 2016 season with a team high 128 kills.

FACING A RIVAL: The Soaring Eagles lost the lone matchup between the programs last season, 3-1. The Purple and Gold won the first set of the match and led the second set 18-10, before the Bombers went on a tear to win the set and the next two in convincing fashion. EC's last victory in the series came in a 3-0 triumph on the road three years ago, sweeping the three sets: 25-17, 25-23, 25-23.

UP NEXT: The Soaring Eagles will host St. John Fisher College and Utica College in E8 action at Speidel Gymnasium on Saturday, September 24th, at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., respectively.