Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women's Volleyball team begins a challenging 2017 schedule on Friday when it participates in the first day of the two-day Brandies Invitational. The Knights will take on Babson and Rhode Island College on Friday, before tussling with Smith and Wellesley to close out the event on Saturday.
 
At A Glance: Mount Saint Mary enters the 2017 coming off a 15-18 overall record a season ago that included a 7-4 mark against Skyline Conference rivals. The Knights produced a season-long six match winning streak from September 21 through the first of two matches of a non-conference tri-match on October 1. The Mount earned its ninth straight berth in the Skyline Conference Championship in 2016, falling in the Opening Round of the event to Sage in three sets.
 
Mount Saint Mary returns 12 players from last season's squad, including seniors Chelsea Barberan (Fishkill, N.Y.), Julimar Figueroa (Dorado, Puerto Rico), Jackie Survilla (West Islip, N.Y.) and Megan Williams (Glenmont, N.Y.). Barberan was limited to just one set due to injury in 2016, while Figueroa appeared in 65 sets for the Knights and was fourth on the team with 194 digs.
 
Williams returns for her final season as the Mount's top returning player in kills with 173 as a junior and was second on the team in 2016 in total blocks with 58. Survilla closed out her junior season with 78 digs, 62 kills and 29 service aces.
 
The junior class consists of five players, including Kim Gries (Hicksville, N.Y.) who rounded out the 2016 season second on the team in assists with 266 to go along with eight service aces and 72 digs. Nicole Spinelli (Wantagh, N.Y.) was third on the team a season ago in total blocks with 29 and was fifth on the team in kills with 97.
 
Ally Klesin (Glendale, N.Y.) is back for her second season with the Knights after producing 50 kills and 13 service aces in 2016, while Lauren LeGere (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) averaged 1.48 digs per set last season for the Mount. Courtney Blum (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) looks to support the offensive attack at the setter position.
 
A trio of sophomores, Morgan Burke (Ringwood, N.J.), Madelyn Barberan (Fishkill, N.Y.) and Emily Mazzurco (Middletown, N.Y.), look to build off of strong rookie campaigns in 2017. Burke set a single season record with 85 totals blocks in 2016 and added 166 kills, while Barberan paced the backline with 351 digs to go along with 29 service aces. Mazzurco produced 19 kills for the Knights and a freshman and added nine service aces.
 
Newcomers: Head Coach Mike Strano, who begins his 15^th year at the helm of the program, has added a talented group of five newcomers to the fold in 2017. Paige Caruso (Dover Plains, N.Y.), McKenna Cronin (Prospect, Conn.), Renee Hydo (Bethpage, N.Y.), Danielle Kralik (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) and Klaire Wall (Point Pleasant, N.J.) will look to step in and make an impact from the start.
 
The Schedule: The Knights will take part in three tournaments in the early going of the 2017 season, taking part in events at New Paltz and Ramapo in addition to Brandeis. The home opener is scheduled for September 5 against 2016 NCAA Tournament participant New Rochelle, with the Skyline Conference slate beginning with a home date with 2016 conference champion Farmingdale State on September 26.