Top-Seeded Women's Volleyball Faces Brockport in Quarterfinals of E8 Tournament on Saturday

No. 1 St. John Fisher (21-6, 11-0 Empire 8)

Head Coach: Kelly Greapentrog (18th season at SJF)

Career Record: 322-268

• Roster
• Coaching Staff
• Schedule
• Stats

No. 8 Elmira (11-11, 5-6 Empire 8)

Head Coach: Jim Clar (3rd season at Brockport)

Career Record: 45-30

• Roster
• Coaching Staff
• Schedule
• Stats

How They Got Here

St. John Fisher: The reigning Empire 8 champions finished the regular season 21-6 overall and 11-0 in conference play, earning the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year and seventh time in the last eight years. The Cardinals have won 14 consecutive matches, with their last loss coming against Johns Hopkins, 3-0, on Sept. 26. Fisher has also won 32 consecutive matches against Empire 8 opponents, dating back to a 3-1 loss to Nazareth on Oct. 23, 2024.

The Cardinals finished the regular season atop the conference in points (1,664), hitting percentage (.233), assists (1,157), and kills (1,269).

Brockport: The Golden Eagles finished the regular season 11-11 overall and 5-6 in Empire 8 play. Brockport has qualified for the Empire 8 Championship Tournament for the third consecutive year.

With A Win…

The Cardinals would advance to the Empire 8 Championship semifinals for the 10th consecutive year and the 17th time in program history. Fisher would face the winner of the No. 5 Alfred vs No. 4 Houghton matchup at the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym in Pittsford, N.Y., on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Players To Watch

#10 Kaylene Noble (Sr., OH) – The senior outside hitter is a three-time All-Empire 8 First Team selection who earned Empire 8 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in 2023. She is also a two-time AVCA All-Region First Team honoree (2023 and 2025), an AVCA All-Region honorable mention selection in 2024, and a two-time AVCA All-American honorable mention (2023 and 2025). Noble leads the Cardinals in points (355.0), kills (272), and digs (269) while posting a .242 hitting percentage. She averages 3.30 kills, 3.71 points, and 2.80 digs per set. Noble has recorded at least 15 kills in nine matches this season and has posted 10 double-doubles in kills and digs. With 1,410 career kills, she ranks third in program history. 

#3 Lydia Fraser (Jr., OH) – The junior outside hitter is a two-time All-Empire 8 Selection, earning Rookie of the Year and First Team honors in 2024 before receiving Second Team recognition in 2025. She was named to the AVCA All-Region First Team and earned AVCA All-American honorable mention honors in 2024. Fraser leads the Cardinals with 74 service aces and ranks second on the team in points (355.0) and kills (272), with a .209 hitting percentage. She averages 3.02 kills, 0.82 service aces, and 3.95 points per set. Fraser set the program's single-match record for service aces in a five-set match with 11 against Brockport on Oct. 17. She has recorded at least 15 kills in six matches this season and ranks second in program history with 197 career service aces. 

#6 Kalyna Dannenberg (So., OH) – The sophomore outside hitter is the reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and an All-Empire 8 First Team selection. She also earned AVCA All-Region First Team honors, AVCA All-American honorable mention recognition, and AVCA Region III Rookie of the Year honors. Dannenberg has recorded 215 kills, 190 digs, and 254.0 points while posting a .200 hitting percentage. She averages 3.07 kills, 2.71 digs, and 3.63 points per set. Dannenberg has recorded at least 15 kills in four matches this season. 

#16 Ana Gutman (Sr., MB) – The senior middle blocker is a three-time All-Empire 8 selection, earning First Team honors in 2023 and 2024 and Second Team recognition in 2025. She is a two-time AVCA All-Region honorable mention selection (2023 and 2025) and earned AVCA All-Region First Team and AVCA All-American honorable mention honors in 2024. Gutman lead the Cardinals with a .349 hitting percentage and has recorded 175 kills, 209.5 points, and 60 total blocks this season. 

Fisher vs. Brockport History

Series Snapshot: The Cardinals are 11-11 against Brockport since 2008 but have won nine of the last 10 meetings against the Golden Eagles.

Postseason Meetings: Fisher and Brockport have met once in the postseason. The Cardinals earned a 3-1 victory in the 2024 Empire 8 semifinals.

Last Meeting: The Cardinals defeated Brockport, 3-2, on Oct. 17. Fraser led Fisher with a triple-double, recording 17 kills, 11 service aces, and 22 digs. Adeline Phillips added 15 kills, while Noble finished with 14. Setter Zofia Keogh dished out 48 assists. 

Empire 8 Tournament Central

November 7th - 14th, 2026

Higher Seeds Throughout

The 2026 Empire 8 Conference Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament will feature the conference's top eight teams from regular season play. First round/quarterfinal action will feature the No. 1 seed hosting the No. 8 seed, No. 2 seed hosting the No. 7 seed, No. 3 seed hosting the No. 6 seed and No. 4 seed hosting the No. 5 seed on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The winner of the No. 1 and No. 8 match will take on the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 match in one semifinal and the winner of the No. 2 and No. 7 match will take on the winner of the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds in the second semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 11, with both games played at the higher seed.

The two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the highest remaining seed in the E8 Championship. The Empire 8 Champion will earn an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament.

2026 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament Participants

No. 1 – St. John Fisher University (11-0)
No. 2 – SUNY Geneseo (8-3)

No. 3 – Hartwick College (8-3)
No. 4 – Houghton University (7-4)
No. 5 – Alfred University (7-4)

No. 6 – Russell Sage College (5-6)
No. 7 – Nazareth University (5-6)

No. 8 – SUNY Brockport (5-6)

2026 Empire 8 Women’s Volleyball Championship Schedule

Saturday, November 7 – First Round 
No. 8 SUNY Brockport at No. 1 St. John Fisher – 12 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

No. 7 Nazareth at No. 2 SUNY Geneseo – 12 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

No. 6 Russell Sage at No. 3 Hartwick – 6 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

No. 5 Alfred at No. 4 Houghton – 1 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

Wednesday, November 11 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed)
Winner of St. John Fisher/Brockport vs. Winner of Houghton/Alfred – 6 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Winner of Geneseo/Nazareth vs. Winner of Hartwick/Russell Sage – 6 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

Saturday, November 15 - Championship Final
Winner of Semifinal Game 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal Game 2 at Highest Remaining Seed – 1 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

2026 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player

2026 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament Torchbearer Award Winner

Site: Higher Seeds for all games

Admission
$10.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Seniors
$2.00 - Students with ID (from competing institution)
Free - Children under 12

For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).

The 2026 Season In Photos…