ALBANY, N.Y. - The UAlbany volleyball team is ready for a weekend on the road as they travel to Binghamton and Bryant.
 
MATCH INFORMATION
 
UAlbany at Binghamton
DATE: Friday, October 27
TIME: 6:00 PM
SITE: West Gym - Vestal, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 7-13, 2-4 AE | Binghamton 11-9, 4-1 AE
SERIES RECORD: 35-15, UAlbany leads
STATS: BUBearcats.com
STREAM: ESPN+
INT'L STREAM: AE.TV
 
UAlbany at Bryant
DATE: Sunday, October 29
TIME: 2:00 PM
SITE: Chace Athletic Center - Smithfield, R.I.
RECORDS: UAlbany 7-13, 2-4 AE | Bryant 15-10, 3-3 AE
SERIES RECORD: 3-1, Bryant leads
STATS: BryantBulldogs.com
STREAM: ESPN+
INT'L STREAM: AE.TV
 
*records as of 10.23
 
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

• On Friday, UAlbany traveled to New Hampshire for a four-set loss.
• Redshirt-sophomore Shynelle Woroniuk led with 15 kills while sophomore Anna Myhal finished with 11. 
• On defense, junior Sthefany Carvalho totaled a team-high 15 digs and freshman Campbell Robinson tallied five blocks. 
• Returning home, the Great Danes defeated NJIT for their second conference victory. 
• After claiming the first set, UAlbany won sets three and four by double-digit margins to earn the victory. 
• Junior Zosia Szczotkiewicz finished the match with season-highs in assists (49) and aces (four). 
• Redshirt-freshman Gabriella Karman recorded a team-best five blocks, including one solo block. 
• Leading the team, Woroniuk tallied 18 kills while senior Elisavet Papageorgiou finished with 13 digs.
• Robinson followed Woroniuk with a career-high 15 kills.

 
GREAT DANE REWIND

• UAlbany holds a 7-13 record on the season with a 2-4 America East record.
• The Great Danes started their season with a three-set sweep over Syracuse (Aug. 25). 
• Following the win, UAlbany played close sets against Navy (Aug. 26) and UCF (Aug. 27) to close the UAlbany Invitational before falling to 1-5 with three losses at the Chippewa Invitational (Sept. 1-2).
• Going 1-2 at each of their final regular season tournaments, the Great Danes beat Cornell at the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament (Sept. 8-9) and George Mason at the Patriot Invite (Sept. 15-16).
• UAlbany won back-to-back matches defeating Siena (Sept. 20) and Sacred Heart (Sept. 27) before beginning conference play.
• After falling to NJIT (Oct. 1) and Bryant (Oct. 6), the Great Danes earned their first conference victory defeating UMBC (Oct. 8) in five sets. 
• Conceding defeats to Binghamton (Oct. 15) and New Hampshire (Oct. 20), UAlbany most recently bested NJIT for their second conference victory.
• Shynelle Woroniuk leads the team with 3.23 kills per set and 3.55 points per set.
• On defense, Sthefany Carvalho holds the team-high with 3.26 digs per set.
• Zosia Szczotkiewicz leads the Great Danes with a team-high in aces (23). Senior Elisavet Papageorgiou and Carvalho are close behind with 19. 
• Gabriella Karman has recorded 52 blocks this season (1.02/set), including 11 solo blocks, while sophomore Tori Wilson trails with 40, including seven solo.
• The team's primary setter, Szczotkiewicz has tallied 493 assists in 52 sets (9.48/set).

 
INTERNATIONAL APPEAL

• The UAlbany coaching staff is constantly at work to represent different cultures and countries on their roster each year.
• The 2023 roster traveled a total of 32,597 miles from their homes to UAlbany.
• Seven different countries and five different states within the USA are included on the 14-person roster.
  • United States
    • New York: Kyrah Wilbur, Nicole Bell
    • Texas: Tori Wilson, Kendall Harris
    • Connecticut: Naliah Grannell
    • Florida: Gabriella Karman
    • Ohio: Campbell Robinson
  • Canada: Brooke Malek, Shynelle Woroniuk
  • Poland: Emilia Kuzniar, Zosia Szczotkiewicz
  • Brazil: Sthefany Carvalho
  • Greece: Elisavet Papageorgiou
  • Ukraine: Anna Myhal

 
IN THE RANKINGS
(As of October 23)

• Six Great Danes hold positions in the top statistical rankings within the America East.
  • Zosia Szczotkiewicz
    • 1st - 9.48 assists per set
    • 1st - 0.44 service aces per set 
  • Sthefany Carvalho
    • 4th - 3.60 digs per set
  • Shynelle Woroniuk
    • 5th - 3.23 kills per set
    • 6th - 3.55 points per set
  • Gabriella Karman
    • 6th - 1.02 blocks per set
  • Kendall Harris
    • 8th - .256 hitting percentage 
    • 10th - 2.37 kills per set
  • Elisavet Papageorgiou
    • 9th - 2.74 digs per set

 
WORK AS A TEAM, WIN AS A TEAM
(As of October 23)

• The Great Danes' rank in the conference:
  • 3rd - 11.52 opponent assists per set
  • 3rd - 14.32 opponents digs per set
  • 4th - 1.96 blocks per set
  • 4th - 1.62 service aces per set
  • 4th - 12.62 opponent kills per set
  • 4th - 2.20 opponent blocks per set 
  • 4th - 1.81 opponent service aces per set 

 
ABOUT BINGHAMTON 

• The Bearcats own an 11-9 record and are 4-1 in conference play.
• In four non-conference tournaments - the Bearcat Classic (Aug. 25-26), the Buffalo Invite (Aug. 31-Sept. 2), the Lehigh Steel Classic (Sept. 8-9), and the UConn Dog Pound Challenge (Sept. 16-17) - Binghamton tallied five wins and seven losses.
• Throughout the season, the Bearcats have competed in three midweek matches - a three-set win over Le Moyne (Sept. 5), a three-set loss against Colgate (Sept. 26), and a four-set win at LIU (Oct. 10).
• Binghamton opened conference play with three-straight wins over NJIT (Sept. 29), New Hampshire (Oct. 6), and Bryant (Oct. 8).
• Most recently, the Bearcats fell against UMBC (Oct. 19) after beating UAlbany in three sets (Oct. 15).
• Tsvetelina Ilieva leads the team with 4.34 kills per set and 5.04 points per set.
• Madison Konopka holds the team-high in digs per set with 3.49.
• Anna Sprys has recorded 90 blocks, including 13 solo. 
• Lottie Scully has served as the primary setter recording 384 assists in 49 sets (7.84/set). 

 
SERIES AGAINST THE BEARCATS

• The Great Danes lead the all-time series, 35-15.
• The two sides met earlier this season with Binghamton winning in straight sets (Oct. 15). 
• Redshirt-sophomore Kendall Harris accumulated 10 kills and three blocks in the loss
• UAlbany squared off against the Bearcats twice last season with each team winning their home contest.
• Winning in five sets on October 21, the Great Danes fell in three in Vestal (Nov. 6).
• Returning student-athlete Anna Myhal tallied 20 kills and six digs in the UAlbany victory.
• In 2022, each team won their home contest. UAlbany took a five-set victory on October 21 while Binghamton won in three sets on November 6.

 
ABOUT BRYANT

• The Bulldogs are 15-10 on the season with a 3-3 conference record.
• Bryant began its year with two wins in the first week - defeating Rhode Island at the Air Force Tournament (Aug. 26) and a single match against Stonehill (Aug. 30).
• Continuing with two wins in both the Bryant Tournament (Sept. 1-2) and the Providence Tournament (Sept. 8-9), the Bulldogs earned just one victory at the Kaiser Classic (Sept. 15-16).
• Bryant added midweek victories over Siena (Sept. 1) and Holy Cross (Sept. 6) before defeating Merrimack (Sept. 20) and Le Moyne (Sept. 24). 
• The Bulldogs closed September with their first conference match - a loss against UMBC (Sept. 29).
• Bryant continued its season with wins against Central Connecticut (Oct. 3) and UAlbany (Oct. 6).
• After falling to Binghamton (Oct. 8), Bryant hosted wins against NJIT (Oct. 13), New Hampshire (Oct. 15), and Sacred Heart (Oct. 18). 
• Most recently, the Bulldogs lost in straight sets to UMBC (Oct. 22) before earning a non-conference win against Merrimack (Oct. 25).
• Aubrey Lapour leads the team with 3.34 kills per set. 
• On defense, Josie Deluga holds the team-high with 3.53 digs per set.
• Three blockers have totaled over 60 blocks - Brookelyn Talmadge (69), Lapour (68), and Morgan Smith (67).
• Deluga and Arianna Ugolini are tied with 40 service aces.
• Carolina Camacho has been Bryant's primary setter since the beginning of conference play. She has recorded 509 assists in 94 sets for 5.41 assists/set. 

 
SERIES AGAINST THE BULLDOGS

• With a 3-1 advantage, Bryant leads the all-time series.
• Matching up earlier in the season, the Bulldogs defeated UAlbany in four sets (Oct. 6). 
• Three Great Danes recorded four blocks in the contest - Campbell Robinson, Tori Wilson, and Kendall Harris. 
• In their first season as an America East school, Bryant won both matches in 2022.
• UAlbany earned their first win over Bryant in 2019 in a three-set sweep. 

 
A NEW BEGINNING

• The Great Danes welcome nine newcomers with five returning student-athletes. 
• Sophomore Anna Myhal returns after having been the only Great Dane to start all 27 matches in 2022. 
• Senior Naliah Grannell and redshirt-sophomore Shynelle Woroniuk return with double-digit starts as a blocker and outside hitter, respectively.
• Sophomores Zosia Szczotkiewicz and Brooke Malek add valuable experience as a setter and on defense, respectively.
• Among the newcomers are mid-year transfers Kendall Harris (Coastal Carolina) and Elisavet Papageorgiou (Eastern Illinois). Gabriella Karman (NC State), Sthefany Carvalho (MSU-West Plains), and Tori Wilson (NC Central) joined the team from their respective schools ahead of the fall semester.
• UAlbany also added four freshmen: Nicole Bell, Emilia Kuzniar, Campbell Robinson, and Kyrah Wilbur.

 
AROUND THE AMERICA EAST

• UMBC sits at the top of the table with a 5-1 record. 
• Binghamton (.800) trails close behind with one less win than the Retrievers.
• Bryant currently holds a .500 record in the conference. 
• New Hampshire and UAlbany are tied with two wins each. The Wildcats hold the slight edge with three losses to the Great Danes' four.
• NJIT rounds out the conference with a single win in six league matchups.  

 
AMERICA EAST CONTESTS THIS WEEK

• Friday
  • UAlbany at Binghamton, 6 pm
• Sunday
  • NJIT at Binghamton, 1 pm
  • UMBC at New Hampshire, 1 pm
  • UAlbany at Bryant, 2 pm

 
UP NEXT: UAlbany will host a mid-week matchup against LIU on Tuesday before squaring off against New Hampshire for their final regular-season contest at home.
 
For more information on the University at Albany volleyball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanyvb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanyvb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyVB