VOLLEYBALL SET TO TRAVEL TO DELAWARE FOR BLUE HEN INVITATIONAL

Games #4-6 vs. Hampton University (CAA), Virginia Tech (ACC), University of Delaware (CUSA)

Info: Saturday & Sunday, September 6-7

Newark, Del. | Bob Carpenter Center



Watch: 

ESPN+ (Note: Only Le Moyne’s matchup versus Delaware shall be broadcast)

Live Stats: 

Match vs. Hampton 

Match vs. Virginia Tech

Match vs. Delaware

Newark, Del. – The Le Moyne College girls’s volleyball group will journey to Delaware to participate within the Blue Hen Invitational hosted by the University of Delaware this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Sep. 6-7. They’ll kick off their three-match set at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday in opposition to Hampton University earlier than wrapping up the day in opposition to Virginia Tech as 1:00 p.m.. They’ll then shut out the invite in opposition to the host Blue Hens at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Matchup Histories:

The Dolphins will meet all three of their opponents for the primary time in program historical past at this yr’s Blue Hen Invitational. 

‘Phins Season:

Le Moyne will enter the weekend with a 1-2 document to begin the 2025 season, with their win coming in opposition to Niagara University on Saturday, Aug. 30 and losses by the hands of Rider and Syracuse.

The group’s win in opposition to Niagara marked Head Coach Fiona Cunningham’s first on the helm of the Dolphins’ volleyball program, their first house victory in opposition to a non-NEC opponent since shifting to Division I in 2023, and (because the second recreation of the yr) their earliest victory in any season since 2022. 

Their hard-nosed victory of the Purple Eagles got here in 5 units with Le Moyne overcoming a 2-0 deficit after two units. After falling 25-21 and 26-24 within the first pair of units, the Dolphins held the lead for everything of the third and fourth units, finally profitable 25-17 and 25-19 whereas forcing a decisive fifth set. After permitting Niagara to tie it up 5-5 by way of 10 factors, the Dolphins went on a 5-0 run which they held on to and got here away with a 15-11 set win to say the victory within the match.

Through three video games, sophomore exterior hitters Denali Louden (Murrieta, C.A. / Murrieta Mesa) and Jordyn Hamlin (Manahawkin, N.J. / Southern Regional) lead the group with 45.0 and 36.5 factors together with 42 and 34 kills apiece, respectively. Junior reverse hitter Branwyn Lupton (Napanee, O.N. / Napanee District Secondary School) sits simply behind with 31.0 factors and 27 kills whereas registering a .233 hitting share whereas taking part in in all 12 units of the season.

Senior setter Haley Gerken (Buffalo, N.Y. / Frontier) has tallied a team-best 66 assists with sophomore setter Skylar Jehlen (Rochester, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili) including one other 40 assists up to now this yr.

Sophomore libero/DS Brooke Menke (St. Louis, M.O. / Visitation Academy) leads Le Moyne with 37 digs and 6 service aces, with Louden and Gerken every including 27 extra digs to the statsheet.

Lupton has additionally recorded a team-leading 8.0 blocks on the yr with senior center hitter Nil Ezgi Tasdelen (Izmir, Turkey/Ugur Okullari) registering 5.0 blocks and freshman center hitter Eiley Schneider (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) incomes 4.0, as properly.

A Look on the Competition:

Hampton University is coming off a 0-30 season in 2024, together with going 0-18 in convention play (CAA) in Head Coach Ronaldo Pacheco’s first season on the helm. The Pirates will enter the Blue Hen Invitational with an 0-3 document to begin this season, having dropped every of their opening weekend matches within the Hampton Tournament.

The Pirates fell 3-0 on Friday, Aug. 29 in opposition to Florida A&M earlier than being taken down by East Carolina, 3-0, and Maryland East Shore, 3-1, the next day. Their lone set victory got here within the second set of their remaining matchup after they stormed again from down 8-3 to tie the set 24-24 and take the next two factors. 

Through three matches, freshman exterior hitter Jaya Rimm leads the Pirates with 27.5 factors and 25 kills with a pair of service aces, 15 digs, and 1.0 block. Sophomore setter Morgan Warren leads Hampton with 57 assists and 19 digs whereas freshman center blocker Kylah McNeal has tallied a team-best 9.0 blocks for the Pirates.

The Virginia Tech Hokies completed 2024 with a 7-23 general document whereas going 1-19 in ACC matchups throughout Head Coach Marci Byers’s fourth season. After opening weekend in 2025, the Hokies are 2-1 after taking down North Carolina Central, 3-0, and UNC Wilmington, 3-0, on Friday, Aug. 29 earlier than dropping their remaining matchup of the UNCW Tournament to Lindenwood, 3-2, on Saturday, Aug. 30. 

Freshman center blocker/proper aspect hitter Brianna Holladay leads Virginia Tech with 38.5 factors on the yr whereas junior exterior hitter Payton Woods has added a team-high 28 kills by way of 10 units performed. Junior setter Camilla Brandalise (47) and sophomore setter Erica Dellesky (46) are neck and neck on the prime of the stat sheet in assists. Graduate libero/DS Erica Fava has put up a team-leading 28 digs this season, whereas Holladay additionally leads with 12.0 blocks for the Hokies. 

Last season, Delaware went 20-7 general with a 15-3 convention document of their remaining season within the CAA, en path to an look within the 2024 CAA Tournament. The Blue Hens entered the match because the #2 seed and took down #3 Towson, 3-1, within the semifinal spherical earlier than falling to #1 Charleston, 3-2, within the convention championship recreation.

So far in 2025 (Head Coach Kimberly Lambert’s fourth within the place), Delaware is 0-2 after taking part in within the Ok-State Invitational and falling to each UMBC (3-1) and host Kansas State (3-0) this previous weekend.

Through seven units of their two matches final weekend, senior reverse hitter Dylan Norris has led the Blue Hens’ offense with 25.5 factors and 22 kills. Junior setter Kennedi Inman has added a team-high 65 assists to date with sophomore exterior hitter Jayda Reed main in digs with 19.Senior exterior hitter/center blocker Asia Murray sits as the one participant on Delaware’s roster with double-digit blocks with 10.0. 

What’s Next:

Le Moyne will head to Annapolis, Md. to participate in a pair of matches on the Navy Invitational in opposition to Gardner-Webb University and Navy on Friday and Saturday, Sep. 12-13.