Games #13 & 14 vs. LIU (NEC)
Info: Friday, Oct. 3 / Saturday, Oct. 4
Syracuse, N.Y. | Ted Grant Court | 6:00 P.M. / 1:00 P.M.
Watch: NEC Front Row (Friday) / NEC Front Row (Saturday)
Live Stats: lemoynedolphins.com

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College volleyball team will host LIU on Ted Grant Court to kick off their 2025 Northeast Conference slate this coming Friday, Oct. 3 at 6:00 P.M. and Saturday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 P.M.

Matchup History:
LIU currently holds a 4-0 all-time record against Le Moyne as the programs have met twice per year as members of the NEC since the Dolphins joined the conference when they transitioned to Division I prior to the 2023 season. 

The Sharks took both matches in three sets during the 2023 season with one meeting coming in Syracuse and the other in Brooklyn. LIU did the same in 2024, taking down Le Moyne, 3-0, in both matches in Brooklyn. 

Over two matches last season, current sophomore outside hitter Denali Louden (Murrieta, C.A. / Murrieta Mesa) led the offense with 12 kills while senior setter/DS Haley Gerken (Buffalo, N.Y. / Frontier) and sophomore setter Skylar Jehlen (Rochester, N.Y. / Churchville Chili) ranked the two-best with 19 and 18 assists, respectively. Sophomore libero/DS Brooke Menke (St. Louis, M.O. / Visitation Academy) rounded out the offense with a team-leading four service aces over the two matches.

Defensively, sophomore outside hitter Jordyn Hamlin (Manahawkin, N.J. / Southern Regional) led with 16 digs while Menke added another 15 for the 'Phins. Hamlin and fellow sophomore outside hitter Nina Salas (Austin, T.X. / McNeil) each added three block assists, as well.

Dolphins' Season:
Le Moyne will enter 2025 conference play with a 1-11 record through 12 non-NEC matches to begin the season, Head Coach Fiona Cunningham's first at the helm of the program. 

Le Moyne opened the year in the Salt City Classic from Aug. 29-31 where they suffered losses at the hands of both Rider (1-3) and Syracuse (0-3) while downing Niagara (3-2) in their lone victory of the season this far. The team then traveled to Delaware to take part in a three-match set at the Blue Hen Invitational from Sept. 6-7. Le Moyne fell in their three matchups to Hampton (2-3), Virginia Tech (0-3), and host Delaware (0-3) before traveling to Maryland for the Navy invitational on Sept. 12-13. 

The Dolphins dropped their first match to Gardner-Webb (0-3) before rounding out the weekend with a loss at the hands of Navy in similar three-set fashion. The squad then returned home for a mid-week home match with Canisius on Sept. 17 where they fell in three sets before dropping both legs of the Syracuse Invitational against St. John's (0-3) and Siena (0-3) from Sept. 19-20. Most recently, the Dolphins dropped their non-conference finale on the road against Holy Cross, 3-0, on Tuesday night. 

Junior opposite hitter Branwyn Lupton (Napanee, O.N. / Napanee District Secondary School) sits lead Le Moyne having played all 12 matches this season with 106.0 points and 92 kills while tying for the team lead on the defensive end with 27.0 blocks and adding 24 digs, as well.Through just eight matches played this season, Hamlin sits just behind with 101.5 points, 86 kills, and 12 service aces while adding six assists, 60 digs, and 5.0 blocks. Gerken has added a team-high 214 assists through 12 matches played, adding seven kills, eight service aces, 69 digs, and 6.0 blocks. 

On defense, sophomore libero/DS Menke leads the Dolphins with 101 digs to go along with a .913 reception percentage through nine matches. Freshman middle hitter Eiley Schneider (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) sits tied with Lupton with 27.0 blocks and senior middle hitter Nil Ezgi Tasdelen (Izmir, Turkey/Ugur Okullari) is just behind with 22.0 blocks, as well.

A Look at the Sharks:
LIU will reach Syracuse possessing a 5-7 through 12 matches to begin the season. 2025 marks the first at LIU for Head Coach Tony Trifonov who previously led Chicago State University's volleyball program, also in the NEC.

The Sharks opened the season, 0-6, after falling in three matches apiece through the Grand Canyon and Sacred Heart invitationals from Aug. 29-Sept. 7. LIU found their first two victories after downing their opponents, Columbia (3-1) and Iona (3-1) in the Iona Invitational from Sept. 19-20. Following invitational action, the Sharks traveled to Saint Peter's and fell, 0-3, on Sept. 23 before opening NEC action last weekend by sweeping Chicago State on the road in a pair of matches, 3-0 and 3-1. Most recently, LIU took down NJIT in a non-conference match, 3-0, at home on Tuesday, Sept. 30. 

On offense, junior outside hitter Sara van Gisteren leads with 176.0 points, 148 kills, and 18 service aces for the Sharks. Senior setter/opposite hitter Karly Klaer has added a team-most 422 assists along with another 13 service aces this season.

Defensively, sophomore libero Miabella Musignac has registered a team-leading 178 digs while junior middle blocker Yasmeen Muhammad has tallied 49.0 blocks, 23.0 more than the next best on the squad. 

What's Next:
The Dolphins will travel to Hackensack, N.J. to take on FDU in a mid-week NEC clash at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8.