Women’s Volleyball’s 30th Season Starts with Urisnus, at UMass Dartmouth

SUFFOLK vs URSINUS
Date Time Venue Video Stats Notes Series	Saturday, Aug. 30 12:00 PM Trip Athletic Center Dartmouth, Mass. Flo Sports CorsairsAthletics.com GoSuffolkRams.com First Meeting

SUFFOLK vs UMASS DARTMOUTH
Date Time Venue Video Stats Notes Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Saturday, Aug. 30 2:00 PM Tripp Athletic Center Dartmouth, Mass. Flo Sports CorsairsAthletics.com GoSuffolkRams.com 5-11 Sept. 9, 2023, W Same Won 2

BOSTON – Suffolk women's volleyball heads to Dartmouth, Massachusetts Saturday, Aug. 30 for a season-opening tri-match with UMass Dartmouth and Urisnus. The Rams will face the Bears at 12 p.m., before taking on the host Corsairs at 2:00 p.m. 

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Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and X. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAPID REWIND
Suffolk women's volleyball has written and rewritten its own record books over the Scott Blanchard era and is coming off the winningest season in program history with a 23-7 overall record.

The Rams aim to make more history in 2025; with sights set on the program's first-ever appearance in a conference championship match. The blue-and-gold has reached the semis in two of the last three campaigns.

The Rams will rely on two-time all-league performer Sami Shore (0.71 bps, 2.43 kps) to lead the way offensively, as well as her co-captains Grace Cervenka (0.64 bps, 1.42 kps), an all-conference second-team selection in 2023, and Chloe Clement (1.89 kps). Aislinn Lanigan (3.52 assists). up the attack once again.

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk women's volleyball's tradition of tri-captains continues in 2025 as upperclassmen Chloe Clement, Grace Cervenka and Sami Shore have earned the titles for the 2025 campaign, head coach Scott Blanchard announced.  

It is the fourth straight season that the Rams will have three captains.  

Cervenka begins her second term in the role after earning the title a year ago, while Clement and Shore enter their first year with the responsibility. 

MORE READING: Trio to Captain Women's Volleyball in 2025

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk women's volleyball's 2025 squad will feature fresh faces as head coach Scott Blanchard recruited nine players to boost the team for the 30th season. 

The group is made up of five true freshmen – Amanda Byron, Lillie Hamilton, Audrey Nadeau, Vicky Serrano and Emmy Thomander – three junior transfers – Mackenzie Heaney (Framingham State), Jordyn Mik (Keene State) and Indira Zegarra Mendoza (Bunker Hil) and senior Delaney More, a three-year letterwinner on the Rams' women's basketball team.  

MORE READING: Nine Newcomers to Boost Women's Volleyball Roster in 2025 

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's geographical make-up is spread out as the 20 Rams hail from seven different states and two countries, Bolivia and the Netherlands. With eight Massachusetts locals, the Bay State tops the list. A trio flew in from New York, with a pair from New York and Texas, respectively. California, Connecticut and Georgia are represented by one student-athlete apiece.

CLASS CATEGORIES
Every class is represented on Suffolk's 20-player roster that is closely divided between experienced upperclassmen and eager youth. There are seven juniors, five true freshmen and seniors, respectively, and three sophomores round out the group.

COACH'S CORNER
Scott Blanchard burst onto the scene at Suffolk in 2018 and made an immediate impact. He is the master mind to the winningest team in the Rams' record books with a 23-7 overall record in 2024 and has guided his squad to the conference semis three times.

The eighth-year head coach welcomes back former Suffolk standouts Hannah Fabiano '21 and Kenzley Bell '23. Fabiano begins her fourth season as an assistant, while Bell joins the staff for her first coaching campaign. 

LIFT THE LID

• The Rams are 9-12 in match one of the year dating back to 2003. 
• Suffolk blanked New England College, 3-0, to get last season underway. 
• Suffolk will play at a neutral site for the third straight season, 11th time overall and fifth under Scott Blanchard's leadership. 
• The Rams are 4-4 when playing on a neutral hardwood in the initial outing of the year. 
• In straight set openers in the last 20 seasons, the blue-and-gold is 7-11. 
• If the first match has extended longer than three sets, Suffolk sits 1-1 in four set decisions and is unbeaten in a five-set, season-opening match. 
• Ursinus is a first-time, season-opening opponent for the blue-and-gold.  

BEARS BREAKDOWN
Ursinus is coming off a 14-11 season and fell in the First Round of the Centennial Championships.  

Returning to the Bears attack is Mel Eglinton (2.09 kps, 2.00 dps, 0.54 bps), Reena Robinson (1.87 kps), Lexi Couch (1.47 kps). Erin Dychdala set-up the offense with 3.56 assists per set. Defensively, Alex Mazzeo supplied 1.65 dps and Alonna McCummings added 0.60 bps at the net. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and Ursinus will tangle for the first time. 

STATS SHOWDOWN vs. URSINUS

CORSAIRS CATCHUP
UMass Dartmouth was recently selected to win the Little East Conference. The two-time defending conference champ finished 2024 with an identical record to Suffolk's 23-7 guided by head coach Justin Turco.  

The Corsairs bring back eight players from last year's squad including three-time LEC Defensive Player of the Year Emily Pogorelec (5.60 dps) and reigning LEC Rookie of the Year and first-team all-conference honoree Olivia Seutter (3.77 kps). UMD welcomes nine newcomers to the roster to add depth. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and UMass Dartmouth will meet for the first time since Sept. 9, 2023, which ended in a 3-1 Rams win.
• Since 2003, Suffolk is 5-11 all-time versus UMass Dartmouth. 
• Suffolk has never defeated UMD on the road, 0-4.
• The Rams picked up back-to-back wins to start the series, then lost seven straight before winning its third match in 2013. 
• Suffolk's fourth win over the Corsairs came in 2019 when the Rams took a five-set thriller Oct. 19 in Keene, New Hampshire. 
• The Rams have won back-to-back matches over UMD, a first since the series started in 2003. 
• Suffolk is the most successful when taking Dartmouth to four sets, holding a 3-2 record in such matches. 
• In sweeps, the Rams have one win compared to UMass' seven. 
• Dartmouth holds a pair of five-set decisions, while one of Suffolk's wins came a 3-2 decision, including the rivals last meeting in 2019. 
• The Rams are unbeaten, 2-0, against UMD with Scott Blanchard on the sidelines.   

STATS SHOWDOWN vs. UMASS DARTMOUTH
 
SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams will prep for the MIT Invitational Sept. 5-6. Suffolk will first take on Connecticut College Friday at 6:00 p.m., before battling the host Engineers Saturday at 11:00 a.m.