WHAC SEMIFINAL PREVIEW: Volleyball set for WHAC Semifinals at Aquinas
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rochester Christian (Mich.) (21-12) | 17 | 20 | 18 | 0 |
|
#21 Aquinas (31-5) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
(Rochester Hills, MI) - The Rochester Christian women's volleyball team is set to make its an semifinal appearance in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament on Friday evening. RCU will be going up against the top-seeded and the host, Aquinas.
GAME INFORMATION
#4 Rochester Christian Warriors at #1 Aquinas Saints
November 14 | 7 PM | Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center | Grand Rapids, MI
ABOUT THE SAINTS
The Saints are led by seventh-year Head Coach Ryan Campbell. Campbell has a 173-74 record leading the Saints.
The Saints offense is led by Cece Pelak and Lauren Chioini who have tallied 422 and 415 kills this season as they are second and third in the WHAC, respectively. Chioini has a hitting percentage of .355 this season to lead the Saints. Natalie West is the top setter for the Saints with 963 assists, the second-most in the WHAC>.
The defense is paced by Bella Hommes with 603 digs, while Cece Pelak and Natalie West have 276 and 216, respectively. Hommes leads the WHAC in digs this season, and averages over five digs per set. Nevaeh Bakker and Chioini led the defense at the net with 121 and 119 total blocks, respectively as they are second and third in the conference.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS
The Warriors are led by Head Coach Juliana Nash, who is in her third season leading RCU. Nash has a 32-62 record in her three seasons leading the Warriors.
RCU's offense is led by four different Warriors who have totaled over 200 kills this season, with Kendal Zeiter leading the charge with 239, while Chante Hudgins, Hailee Mancogna, and Alivia Everitt are right behind her with 237, 232, and 228, respectively. Hudgins leads those four players with a .257 hitting percentage. Mackenzie Keefer has led the way as RCU's setter with 829 assists this season, which is third all-time in program history and third in the WHAC.
Leading the defensive back line this year has been Ashley Horne, who has recorded 438 digs, which is fifth-most in the WHAC. Leading up front this season has been Chante Hudgins and Alivia Everitt, who both have 110(6th in the WHAC) and 108 (7th in the WHAC) total blocks, respectively. Hudgins leads the team with 35 solo blocks, while Everitt is top on the team with 95 assisted blocks.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (PREVIOUS MATCHUPS)
Aquinas claimed both games this season by scores of 3-0.
The first matchup on October 1, saw the Saints come away with set wins of 25-14, 25-19, and 25-11. Cece Pelak led all attackers with 13 kills in the match with Chante Hudgins recording eight to lead the Warriors. Bella Hommes led AQ with 12 digs, with Ashley Horne tallying 10.
Closing out the month of October on the 31st, saw the Warriors play host to the Saints. AQ left with set wins of 25-12, 25-15, and 25-14. Lauren Chioni led the way with 10 kills, while Liljana Margiljaj converted on nine attacks. Madelyn Geisenhaver led both teams with 13 digs, while Bella Hommes tallied 12.
WHAC HONORS
The WHAC released its postseason honors on Thursday, with both of these teams earning multiple selections. Aquinas' Lauren Chioini, Bella Hommes, and Natalie West earned Player, Libero, and Newcomer of the Year, while RCU's Juliana Nash was named Coach of the Year.
FIRST TEAM
|
Lauren Chioini |
Aquinas |
|
Bella Hommes |
Aquinas |
|
Cece Pelak |
Aquinas |
|
Natalie West |
Aquinas |
|
Rochester Christian |
SECOND TEAM
|
Nevaeh Bakker |
Aquinas |
|
Rochester Christian |
|
|
Rochester Christian |
|
|
Rochester Christian |
STAT COMPARISON
|
RCU |
STATS |
AQ |
|
21-11 |
RECORD (WHAC RECORD) |
30-5 |
|
13-7 |
MATCHES |
20-0 |
|
110 |
SETS |
130 |
|
1,317 (11.97) |
KILLS (KILLS/SET) |
1,728 (13.29) |
|
3,833 (18.9%) |
TOTAL ATTACKS (HIT %) |
4,545 (23.3%) |
|
1,234 (11.22) |
ASSISTS (ASSISTS/SET) |
1,563 (12.02) |
|
181 (1.65) |
SERVICE ACES (ACES/SET) |
269 (2.07) |
|
1,818 (16.53) |
DIGS (DIGS/SET) |
1,991 (15.32) |
|
247 (2.25) |
TOTAL BLOCKS (BLOCKS/SET) |
288 (2.21) |
|
1,745 (15.9) |
POINTS (POINTS/SET) |
2,284 (17.6) |
Wednesday, Nov. 12, Friday-Saturday, Nov. 14-15
The top eight (8) teams in the final regular season standings will qualify for the conference tournament. Seeding will be based on WHAC regular-season finish. The higher-seeded team hosts the lower-seeded team. The highest seed after the quarterfinal round will host the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Round - Wednesday, Nov. 12
Game #1: #1 Aquinas over #8 Siena Heights | 3-0
Game #2: #4 Rochester Christian over #5 Madonna | 3-0
Game #3: #2 Cornerstone over #7 Defiance | 3-0.
Game #4: #3 Indiana Tech over #6 Lawrence Tech | 3-2
Semifinals - Friday, Nov. 14 - All Game at Aquinas
Game 5: #1 Aquinas vs #4 Rochester Christian | 5 PM
Game 6: #2 Corerstone vs #3 Indiana Tech | 7 PM
Finals - Saturday, Nov. 15
Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6