PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College women's volleyball team has its eyes set on an Empire 8 championship as the 2019 season is set to tip off on Friday when they Cardinals head to Capital University for four matches as part of the Pam Briggs Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

Fisher, which is coming off its third consecutive trip to the Empire 8 Championship this past fall, features perhaps its most well-rounded lineup in recent memory as head coach Kelly Greapentrog's team boasts a strong corps of returners bolstered by one of the strongest incoming classes in team history.

"I'm excited to build on the progress we have made over the last two seasons," stated Greapentrog who has amassed nearly 200 wins over her career.  "We have a deep and talented roster, but we are a young team and we are working hard to learn our system and get adjusted to the collegiate game. Our first weekend in Ohio will be a great opportunity for us to measure where we are as a team." 

In all, Fisher's experience could pay dividends with 12 players from last year's team set to return including Alea Steigerwald who was the team's first athletic All-American in over 30 years after being tabbed an Honorable Mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.  Steigerwald, who was named the Empire 8 Player and Rookie of the Year in 2018, burst onto the scene in a big way as she finished her rookie campaign with a program record 492 kills over 33 matches.  The incoming sophomore led the Empire 8 for the majority of the 2018 season in a number of categories including total kills, points per set, kills per set and total attempts.  In 33 matches last season, Steigerwald, who also accounted for 415 digs overall, eclipsed the 20-kill plateau six times and set a program record for most kills in a match when she clubbed 32 against The College of New Rochelle on September 29th.

Flanking Steigerwald is senior Izzy Smith who produced 277 kills in 118 sets, which was the second-highest total on the team.  Smith's skills were also apparent defensively as she ranked fourth on the team and was among the Empire 8's leaders with 232 digs and 28.0 blocks.  Additionally, the Cardinals' offensive firepower will be bolstered by Bernadette Nichols and Julia Halsey as the duo combined to total over 200 kills and 16 aces at the service line. 

The guiding force behind Fisher's production, however, is third year setter Rebecca Hay who was named Second-Team All-Conference last year after posting 876 assists overall, which ranked third in the Empire 8.  The 2017 Rookie of the Year, Hay played in 108 sets overall last season and also contributed a team-leading 55 aces.  Despite her setting duties, Hay was also an integral part in the Cardinals' defensive scheme as she ranked third overall on the roster with 261 digs to go along 18 blocks at the net.

Furthermore, Greapentrog has veteran leadership and experience in seniors Olivia Levulis and Emily Risch along with juniors Alex Buhrle and Molly Taylor and sophomores Kara Kingsbury, Alyssa Beyer and Katie Leaty that should play a role in helping to shape the team's culture and identity. 

"The leadership from our upperclassmen has been tremendous," added Greapentrog.  "They have been role models to our new players and will play an instrumental role in the development of our team chemistry as the season wears on."

The Cardinals also have high hopes for seven newcomers as Sydney French, Caroline Leva, Lauren Gilbert, Lindsey DeBonis, Melanie Pitcher, Alexis Mancha and Elly Hepburn are all expected to contribute to the team's success this season.

The action all gets started on Friday, August 30th as the Cardinals head to Columbus, Ohio for the Capital Classic hosted by Capital University.  That Friday, Fisher will face off with Hiram College and Otterbein before battling Defiance and Capital the following afternoon.

One week later, the team returns to the Rochester area for four matches as Fisher will take on SUNY Poly and RIT at RIT on September 6th before traveling to the University of Rochester the next day to meet with Buffalo State and the Yellowjackets in a pair on non-conference tilts.

On September 13th, the Cardinals make their way to Buffalo for the Bengal Invite as they'll dance with John Carroll, Cazenovia and Medaille College over a two-day span.

Fisher will grace its home court for the first time on September 20th as the Cardinals host the SJFC Invite with four teams making their way to campus.  That Friday, the squad will square off with Wells College before hosting Northern Vermont-Johnson and D'Youville College the following day.

From there, the Cardinals will embark on the conference portion of their schedule beginning with a road trip to Utica on September 27th.  Following that bout, Fisher will head further east to meet with The Sage Colleges on September 28th.

Four days later, the Cardinals and Golden Flyers will meet inside Kidera Gymnasium in the annual Battle of the Beaks before Fisher steps out of Empire 8 play for a rematch with Medaille on October 4th along with Union and Mount Saint Mary on October 5th.

On October 11th, the Cardinals return to conference action with a home bout against Houghton before taking to the road again for five straight matches beginning with Alfred on October 12th.

From there, Fisher will make its way to the New York Metropolitan area as it takes on Stevens and The Catholic University of America on October 18th.  Following those matches, the team heads to Union, N.J. for a pair of matches including Hunter College and Kean University on October 19th.

Fisher will return home for a pair of matches over a two-day stretch starting with Elmira College on October 25th followed by Hartwick College the following afternoon.

As the month changes from October to November, Fisher will close out its regular season with three matches as part of the Brockport Invite.  On November 1st, the Cardinals will duke it out with St. Lawrence before wrapping up the docket with Clarkson and The College at Brockport on November 2nd.

The Empire 8 Championship, which will be played at the highest seed overall, will begin November 9th.

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