HOBOKEN, N.J. (Sept. 17, 2019) – Led by a decorated group of veterans and a large pool of young talent, the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team is geared up to play its first conference match of the 2019 season Wednesday against Wilkes University at 7:00 p.m. inside Canavan Arena.

The Ducks will become the first team to play in the MAC Freedom in the 2019-20 school year after a 40-year hiatus. Stevens was selected to finish third in the MAC Freedom coaches' preseason poll, finishing just six points behind the conference favorite Eastern University.

Head coach Annie McShea is excited to start conference play.

"I think our first team goal is to make a splash in the MAC," McShea said. "We want to be known as someone who is going to be around for a long time at or near the top of the conference."

Looking Back

• Of the seven teams the Ducks have played so far this season, two are ranked or receiving votes in the latest AVCA top-25 poll (Johnson & Wales: No. 4, Johns Hopkins: RV).
• Stevens' opponents have a combined overall record of 38-21 this season. 
• The Ducks knocked off Roger Williams University as well as the United States Merchant Marine Academy for their first two wins of the year.
• Prior to joining the MAC Freedom, Stevens took home the Empire 8 regular season title in each of the last six seasons as well as winning the conference tournament title in 2017 and 2014. 
• "I don't think we have come close to trying all of the things we want to try or reaching our full potential," McShea said. "Our goal through these first few games has been to learn more about ourselves. We have played some tough competition so far, and I feel like we have been able to hang with quality competition which will only make us better later in the season." 

Senior Studs

• In their four years with the program, the senior class of Abbie Clark, Kristen Edmiston, Julie Greco, Sara Hain, Casey King and Shelby Stewart has amassed an 85-29 overall record at Stevens.
• As freshmen in 2016, the group helped lead the Ducks to the Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament for just the fifth time in program history. 
• In 2017, Stevens advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after taking home the Empire 8 tournament title for the first time since 2014.
• The Ducks were formidable again last season, winning the Empire 8 regular season crown.
• "This entire senior class has set the tone for Stevens volleyball," McShea said. "They have changed the trajectory of the program. They have made history already and work hard to create a lasting legacy for the program."

Record Chasing

• After hitting .315 in 2018, Hain is on track to break the program career record for attack percentage of .284 previously set by Chrissy Dickinson in 2010-11. The senior out of Roseville, Minn., is hitting .393 on the season thus far.
• Stewart is also nearing a career record, sitting just seven blocks away from second place in career blocks at Stevens. The senior from Powell, Ohio, currently has 385 blocks in her career and is just 43 blocks away from tying Maggie Kowalska (2009-12) who currently owns the school record of 428.
• "Sara and Shelby are physically really solid athletes," McShea said. "They have allowed our team to have so much success in their careers. Having players like that allow us to recruit better as well as play better competition. All in all it's great for the program."

New Faces, Big Results

• In total, the Ducks have six freshmen on the roster for the 2019 season, three of which have played in at least six of Stevens' seven matches this season.
• Allie Morton has been an offensive force this season, racking up 43 kills, 27 assists and 20 digs in just seven contests. Morton had her best match of the season against No. 5 Johnson & Wales, nearly producing a triple-double with 12 assists, 10 digs and seven kills.
• Ava Smithing has also been fantastic this season, leading the team with 21 total blocks on the year. Smithing is one of only two players who has started every match for the Ducks this season.
• "Watching the freshman step up has been really awesome," McShea said. "Ava plays the same position as Sara (Hain) and Shelby (Stewart) so they have really taken her under her wing. Allie has been playing a bit out of position thus far, so I don't think we've come close to seeing her full potential."

Defensive Prowess

• Elizabeth Chu and Jillian Roumbanis have been stellar defensively for Stevens this season. The pair has combined to rack up nearly 190 digs through seven games on the season.
• Chu, a sophomore out of Old Tappan, N.J., has produced double-digit digs in six straight contests including a season-high 18 digs against Johns Hopkins.
• Roumbanis, meanwhile, leads the Ducks with 104 digs while committing just nine receiving errors. The junior out of San Francisco, Calif., had a career-high 25 digs in the Ducks' win over Roger Williams.
• Along with the formidable backline, Stevens also has four players (Smithing, Stewart, Hain and Edmiston) with double digit blocks on the year.
• "Lizzie and Jill have really set the tone for our team in general," McShea said. "Their first contacts on the ball keep us in the game. Without a good pass and defensive touch, we could not run our offensive the way we do."

Match Preview

• Heading into conference play, Stevens holds a 2-5 overall record while Wilkes sits at 6-5.
• The Colonels come into the contest having won four of their last five matchups.
• Wilkes was selected to finish seventh in the MAC Freedom preseason poll.
• It is believed to be the first matchup between the two programs.

Eyes on the Prize

• McShea sees playing in a new conference as a positive thing for the team moving forward. 
• "I'm looking at [moving to the MAC Freedom] as a positive," McShea said. "I think we head into the new conference with no expectations. No one really knows us, so we are ready to go in and surprise some people."
• Overall, McShea says the goal for the season is to get Stevens back into the NCAA Tournament. More than that, however, McShea simply wants the Ducks to play relaxed and free from the pressure that comes with being expected to win the conference. 
• "This season is all about playing loose and having fun," McShea said. "We want to play with a chip on our shoulder, but also play with fun and intensity. We are heading into conference play knowing we can and will win."

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