Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women's Volleyball team takes to the road this weekend for three non-conference matches at the Cazenovia Invitational. The Knights will take on the host Wildcats Friday night (7:00 p.m.) before tussling with Union (11:00 a.m.) and Elmira (3:00 p.m.) on Saturday. Live Stats and Video will be available for all three matches for those unable to attend.
A Look Back: Mount Saint Mary finished the 2021 season with a 14-15 overall record and a 7-4 mark in Skyline Conference play, earning the fourth seed in the Skyline Conference Championship.
Grace Riddle (Wantagh, N.Y.) was named the 2021 Skyline Conference Player of the Year, setting the single season kills record and posting a new single match standard for kills in a three-set contest. In total the Mount welcomes back six players from last season's squad, including Second Team All-Conference pick
Fran Cammarata (Carmel, N.Y.).
Who's Back: Riddle and Cammarata headline the half dozen returning players from last season's squad, as the Mount looks to qualify for the Skyline Conference Championship for the 15
th straight season and claim its first conference championship since 2012.
Riddle had a stellar campaign in 2021, finishing the year with 451 kills, a single season record at the Mount, to go along with 72 service aces, 324 digs and 27 total blocks. Riddle recorded at least 20 kills six times, including 24 in a sweep of St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, setting a new three-set record for kills in a match. Riddle was named First Team All-Skyline Conference, the league's Player of the Year and All-ECAC following her second collegiate season.
Cammarata handed out 740 assists on the season in 2021, averaging just shy of eight helpers per set. She rounded out the campaign with eight double-doubles for the Knights and concluded the 2021 year ranked second in the Skyline Conference in assists per set on her way to the Second Team All-League citation.
Mount Saint Mary also welcomes back
Haley Houghton (Bellerose, N.Y.),
Mary Milano (East Patchogue, N.Y.),
Stephanie Mele (Newburgh, N.Y.) and
Sabrina Romano (Glen Cove, N.Y.) for the 2022 season.
Houghton returns after leading the team in total blocks with 31 in 2021, adding 42 kills, while Mele finished up her rookie season with 45 kills and 22 total blocks. Milano appeared in 18 matches and put away 15 kills to go along with seven aces, while Romano totaled 41 winners and posted 19 total blocks.
Newcomers: The Knights welcome a talented group of newcomers to the fold in 2022 who will look to make an immediate impact starting Friday.
At Outside Hitter
Erin Lema (Centereach, N.Y.) and
Ava DiScala (Seaford, N.Y.) will make their collegiate debuts in 2022. Lema joins the Knights after being named Second Team All-County and All-Classification at Centereach High School. DiScala, who will also see time at middle blocker, joins the squad following a stellar three-year varsity career at Kellenberg Memorial.
A versatile group of newcomers will see time both in the middle and on the right side in 2022 in
Brooke Lavelle (Staten Island, N.Y.),
Emma Wetzel (Mahwah, N.J.) and
Mackenzie Warmoth (Wallingford, Conn.). LaVelle comes to Newburgh after a three-year varsity career at Notre Dame Academy, while Wetzel finished off a stellar high school career at Mahwah in 2021. Warmoth, primarily a middle blocker, was named Second Team All-SCC at Mark T. Sheehan following her senior season.
Angelyse Orellana (Newark, N.J.) joins Cammarata at setter in 2022 after being named First Team Super Essex Conference in 2021.
On the backline, Mount Saint Mary welcomes
Jenna Cullinan (Levittown, N.Y.) and
Krista Gross (East Northport, N.Y.) for the 2022 season. Cullinan put together a strong career at General Douglas MacArthur, while Gross' squad at Elwood John Glenn claimed the league and county championship and advanced to the state tournament during her junior season.
Head Coach: Mike Strano returns for his 19
th season, and 20
th year overall, at the Mount in 2022. Strano is the program's winningest coach, posting 281 triumphs, leading the Knights to their only berth to date into the NCAA Tournament in 2012. Starno has mentored four 20-win seasons at the Mount, including the 2012 team that posted a program record 23 victories.
The Schedule: Following this weekend's trip to Cazenovia, the Mount will take part in the New Paltz Hawks Invitational on September 9-10.
The Knights will play 10 home matches in 2022, starting with the conference opener against Yeshiva on September 15. Other home conference matches include the College of Mount Saint Vincent (9/24), St. Joseph's-L.I. (10/8), Sarah Lawrence (10/11), Purchase 10/22) and 2021 conference champion USMMA on October 27.
The Skyline Conference Championship commences on November 1 and continues with the Semifinal Round of November 3. The conference crown will be earned in the Championship Final on November 5.