Freshman setter Emily Iverson and the rest of the Skyhawks will look to avenge their 3-0 loss to Adelphi in the NE-10 semifinals.

Skyhawks face Panthers in rematch of NE-10 semifinals

EASTON, Mass. (November 15, 2011) – Fifth-seeded Stonehill College will make its first ever NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament appearance on Thursday against fourth-seeded Adelphi University in West Haven, Conn. at Charger Gymnasium in East Region first round action at 7:30 p.m. The University of New Haven has earned the first seed in the tournament and will host the eight-team East Region Championship. 

Admission for Thursday's match is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for senior citizens and students and $3.00 dollars for children ages 2-12. Links to live video feeds, live statistics, live text message updates and live twitter feeds of all eight teams participating in the first round of the tournament can be accessed via New Haven's East Region Tournament Central website, www.newhavenchargers.com/NCAAVolleyball. Directions to Charger Gymnasium can also be found at the provided website.

Stonehill (27-6, 14-1 NE-10) looks to avenge its NE-10 semifinal round loss versus Adelphi University, 3-0, at Merkert Gymnasium last Friday and establish a new program record for most wins in a single-season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers (22-7, 12-3 NE-10) earned an automatic bid to the tournament after winning their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) championship with a 3-0 sweep over the College of Saint Rose last Saturday.

Stonehill is 1-1 overall against Adelphi this fall claiming a 3-0 victory over the Panthers during the regular season on Friday, October 21. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sydney Maxey ranks third in the NE-10 in kills per set (3.26) this season.

As of November 8, NE-10 Rookie of the Year Emily Iverson (Elmhurst, Ill./York) ranks 38^th overall among all setters in NCAA Division II women's volleyball and fourth among all freshman in assists per set. Iverson is also the only setter in the NE-10 to average over 10 assists per set.

Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Maxey (Hutto, Texas/Hutto) – a NE-10 All-Conference First Team selection – has led the Skyhawks offense all season long consistently ranking in the top-10 in kills per set (3.26), digs per set (3.58) and hitting percentage (.266) in the NE-10.

Junior libero Erin Kelly (Tinley Park, Ill./Marist) has guided Stonehill's back ranking eighth in the NE-10 in digs per set at 3.88. Kelly also ranks 16^th overall in aces per set at 0.59 and first in the conference.

For Adelphi, NE-Tournament Most Outstanding Player and senior libero Bianca Hernandez (East Moriches, N.Y. / Westhampton Beach) headlines the Panthers squad after compiling 57 digs in three matches played for an average of 6.33 digs per set in their conference championship run. Hernandez posted the high-water mark for digs in every match during the tournament including 24 digs in a 3-0 win over Pace University in the quarterfinal round.

Junior outside hitter Emily Dorko (Matamoras, PA / Delaware Valley) is tops on Adelphi in kills per set at 2.40 in 81 sets played while Kaitlyn DeStefano (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) ranks third overall in the NE-10 in blocks per set at 1.09.

The winner between Stonehill and Adelphi will take on the winner of first-seeded New Haven and eighth-seeded Pace University on Friday at 5 p.m.

- www.stonehillskyhawks.com -