No. 9 Volleyball Set to Face No. 1 Simmons in GNAC Quarterfinals

BOSTON — The ninth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's volleyball team looks to keep its postseason run alive, heading to top-seeded Simmons University (Simmons) for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night in Boston. First serve against the Sharks inside the Holmes Sports Center is set for 7:00 p.m. 
 
#9 USJ BLUE JAYS (8-20, 6-9 GNAC) at #1 SIMMONS SHARKS (21-7, 15-0 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Holmes Sports Center (Boston, Mass.) 
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, Nov. 7 (7 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the ninth seed in the GNAC playoffs after finishing with a 6-9 record in conference play.
• USJ advanced to the Quarterfinals after upsetting No. 8 New England College, 3-2, on the road Monday night.
• USJ is paced offensively by senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.)
• Carey tops the team in kills (236) kills per set (2.71) and is fourth in service aces (32). Carey has been just as stellar defensively, racking up 176 digs, the second most on the team.
• Senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) is the defensive anchor for the Blue Jays, leading the team with 394 digs.
• Ayala Rodriguez is also a menace at the service line, leading the team with 44 service aces.
• Sophomore Alexandra Long (East Hartford, Conn.) and graduate student Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) split setting duties, as Long leads the way with 407 assists, while Albert has recorded 265.
• Senior middle blocker Victoria Adler (Berlin, Conn.) is a force at the net, leading the team with 49 blocks, while racking up 134 kills.

SCOUTING SIMMONS 

• The Sharks earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs after going a perfect 15-0 in GNAC play.
• Simmons is lead by senior outside hitter Claire Connors (Albany, Calif.), who tops the team in total kills (297) and kills per set (3.07).
• Classmate Jayla Parnell (Oregon City, Ore.) also has eclipsed the 200-kill mark, tallying 211 on the season.
• Graduate student Chelsea Simmons (Newton, Mass.) and senior Kat Simeonidis (Lake Mary, Fla.) split setting duties, as Simmons paces the team with 486 assists, while Simeonidis has recorded 344.
• Freshman Carolina Rodriguez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) is the defense anchor, leading the team with 275 digs.
• Simmons and junior Meghan Doxsee (Higganum, Conn.) are a force at the net, as Doxsee leads the team with 72 blocks, while Simmons has recorded 60.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Tuesday marks the 20^th time that USJ and Simmons meet on the court.
• The Sharks currently hold the edge in the all-time series, 15-4.
• Simmons are 5-1 all-time against USJ in Boston.
• The meeting marks the second time that the Blue Jays and Sharks will battle in the postseason.
• USJ took the inaugural matchup against Simmons, 3-1, in the semifinals of the 1998 GNAC Tournament.
• Earlier this season, the Sharks defeated the Blue Jays in Boston, 3-0. 

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals, battling the winner of the No. 4 Lasell versus No. 5 Rivier matchup on Thursday November 9, at the site of the higher seed.

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