ROCHESTER, NY – St. John Fisher University will attempt to win its fifth straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2023 season gets underway on Sept. 1. Regular season league play will begin on Sept. 29. The top six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round action taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Semifinal action will take place on Thursday, Nov. 9 and the championship match will commence Saturday, Nov. 11, with all matches played at the higher seed. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.
Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Player)
Maddie Boucher, Elmira, Sr., OH, Red Hook, NY/Red Hook – Boucher slammed 179 kills and added 129 digs in 2022.
Eleanor Cepiel, Utica, Gr., OH, West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names – An E8 Player to watch for the third straight season, Cepiel earned All-E8 first team honors in 2022 after leading the league with 363 kills and 398 points.
Dayna Edholm, Keuka, Sr., OH, Buffalo, NY/Sweet Home – Edholm earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2022 after slamming 193 kills, while adding 225 digs.
Casey Grange, Alfred, Sr., MB, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca – Grange was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last season. She averaged 3.11 kills, 3.54 points and 2.26 digs per set in 2022.
Tessa Grover, Nazareth, Jr., S/RS, Penfield, NY/Penfield – Grover, a two-time All-Empire 8 first team selection and 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year, led the league with 81 blocks, recorded 660 assists, 200 kills and 185 digs in 2022.
Julie Immel, Houghton, Gr., S, Portville, NY/Portville – Immel is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection, having earned second team accolades in 2021 and third team plaudits in 2022. She slammed 221 kills last season.
Elaina Moisidis, Russell Sage, Gr., L/DS, Albany, NY/Albany – Moisidis, the reigning Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, led all Empire 8 student-athletes with 546 digs and 5.20 digs per set last season. She enters her final season with 1,415 career digs.
Staecia Silofau, Hartwick, Jr., OH/RS, Kapolei, Hawaii/Maryknoll – Silofau, a two-time All-Empire 8 selection (second team, 2022; third team, 2023) recorded 194 kills and 174 digs in 2022. She was also second on the team with 49 blocks.
Delayne Young, St. John Fisher, Sr., OH, Wrightwood, CA/Serrano – Young, an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2022, was among the league leaders with 3.29 points per set, recording 170 kills and 45 service aces.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2022 Standings)
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher enters the 2022 season riding a 40-match winning streak against Empire 8 opponents dating back to the start of 2019. The Cardinals, who finished 21-8 overall and advanced to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament, will look to be the first team in Empire 8 history to win five straight league titles. Despite the loss 2023 Empire 8 Co-Woman of the Year Sydney French and four-time All-Empire 8 selection Lindsey DeBonis, the Cardinals return nine players from last season, including All-Empire 8 first team selection, outside hitter Delayne Young. Young was among the league leaders with 3.29 points per set, recording 170 kills and 45 service aces. Junior middle blocker Olivia Nellis, sophomore libero Kiera Hartpence and sophomore setter Reilly Morrow will look to make an even greater impact in 2023. Nellis led the Cardinals with 59 blocks and was fourth in the league in blocks per set. Hartpence was among the league leaders with 357 digs in her rookie season. In addition, three-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year Kelly Greapentrog brought in a strong group of newcomers, including Ana Gutman and Kaylene Noble.
Hartwick
The Hawks enjoyed arguably their best season in program history last year, finishing 20-5 overall, including an 8-1 mark in league play while advancing to the E8 Championship match for the first time. Hartwick is 38-9 over the last two season and elevated Janet Donovan to Head Coach after the departure of 2022 E8 Coach of the Year Jim Clar. Donovan is no stranger to success in the Empire 8, having won six Empire 8 Championships and a pair of Coach of the Year honors at Ithaca College. She enters the season two wins shy of 700 in her career. Hartwick returns 11 players from last season, including senior outside hitter Kayleigh Brandow, a 2022 All-E8 second team selection and junior Staecia Silofau, a two-time All-E8 pick. The Hawks will look to replace reigning Empire 8 Player of the Year, setter Braelyn Hornick and three-time All-E8 selection Collette Maloney. Junior Shaelyn Thornton will look to play a major role in 2023, while newcomers Madison Callahan, Sophia Palladino and Vanessa Seymour will vie for playing time.
Nazareth
Nazareth will have a new look behind the bench in 2023, as Tara Jehlen begins her first season with the Golden Flyers. She spent the last 22 seasons and won more than at nearby Monroe Community College and replaces Cal Wickens, who won 407 matches and six Empire 8 titles in 20 seasons with Golden Flyers. Nazareth had its run of advancing to five straight Empire 8 Championship matches snapped last season. The Golden Flyers, who most recently won the 2018 Empire 8 title, return 13 players overall, including a pair of All-Empire 8 selections in senior junior Tessa Grover and sophomore Rylie Loomis. Grover, who plays both setter and right side was the 2021 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and garnered her second straight All-E8 first team selection in 2022. Loomis, an outside hitter, slammed 142 kills. Junior setter Zoe Tylipakis will also be counted on for key contributions, while sophomore Sydney Spence, a sophomore transfer from MCC will look to make an immediate impact.
Houghton
Houghton advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals in 2022 and return nine players and four starters from last season's team. While the Highlanders will look to replace the court presence of setter Haley Unverdorben, a three-time All-Empire 8 selection, they will not look far to replace her leadership as she returns to the team as a first-year head coach in 2023. Unverdorben has a strong group of former teammates returning, including junior outside hitter Julie Immel, a two-time All-E8 selection and sophomore middle blocker Emma Cole, who garnered All-E8 third team accolades in 2022. In addition, junior middle blocker Katie Naprawa and classmate Marra Hovey, a libero will look to play an increased role this season. Naprawa was fourth in the league with a .261 hitting percentage last season. Unverdorben finished her spectacular playing career at Houghton with 2,827 assists and 820 digs. She will look to carve out similar success behind the bench.
Utica
Utica will look for even greater success in 2023 after recording its finest season in program history in 2022. The Pioneers recorded their first winning season in program history, set a school record with 17 victories and won their first postseason contest. Graduate student Eleanor Cepiel is back for her final season after leading the Empire 8 with 363 kills and 398 points in 2022, while earning All-Empire 8 first team accolades. Senior Maddy Maggiore and sophomore Meghan Brennan return to help lead the way for Utica, while first-year outside hitter Megan Wright will look to make an immediate impact. Maggiore led all Empire 8 student-athletes with 73 service aces in 2022.
Keuka
The Wolves look to return to the postseason after reaching the Empire 8 Tournament in their first season of league play in 2021. Keuka returns virtually its entire team from 2022, which won four league games and finished in a three-way tie for fifth but missed out on the final postseason berth on tiebreakers. Seniors Dayna Edholm, Casey Hunziker and Emma Sipos will be counted on to lead the Wolves in 2023. Both Edholm, an outside hitter and Hunziker, a setter, earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades. Sipos, a libero, finished among the league leaders with 397 digs.
Alfred
The Saxons returns an experienced group of veterans looking to earn a postseason berth in 2023. Eleven players return, including standout libero Darian Ortiz, who will look to earn her third E8 Libero of the Year accolade in 2023. Last season, Ortiz stepped in at setter and excelled, earning All-E8 third team accolades. Senior middle blocker Casey Grange was named the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year after averaging 3.11 kills, 3.54 points and 2.26 digs per set in 2022. Seniors Jamie Chun and Fiona McNeil will also be counted on to also lead the way for the Saxons. Sophomore Taylor Malone, a transfer from Division II Kutztown and first-year Cara Bratthauer will also look to step right in an contribute.
Elmira
The Soaring Eagles will look to make it back to the postseason in 2023 after three straight berths from 2019-21. Former Elmira standout and All-Empire 8 first team selection Savannah Terry takes over as head coach in 2023. Elmira returns 12 players from last season, including senior Maddie Hampton and juniors Makenna Clark, Asia Curkendall and Morgan Richardson. Hampton was among the league leaders in digs per set. Boucher slammed 179 kills and added 129 digs in 2022.
Russell Sage
The Gators will have a new look in 2023, as Rosilyn Cummings takes over behind the bench, replacing Sandy Augstein-Collins, who retired after recording nearly 400 wins. The Gators will look to get back to the postseason in 2023 and return 10 players from last season's team, including libero Elaina Moisidis, who was named the 2022 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, Moisidis, who enters her graduate season, led all E8 student-athletes with 546 digs and 5.20 digs per set last season. Monalissa Carius, Caitlin Hammecker and Hannah Peterson will also be counted on to lead the way for the Gators. Newcomers Maddy Mott and Macey Salvione will look to earn immediate playing time.
Final 2022 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Standings
St. John Fisher (21-8, 9-0 E8) – League Champions
Hartwick (20-5, 8-1 E8)
Nazareth (10-19, 6-3 E8)
Houghton (10-14, 5-4 E8)
Medaille (6-23, 4-5 E8)
Utica (17-12, 4-5 E8)
Keuka (9-16, 4-5 E8)
Alfred (5-12, 2-7 E8)
Elmira (7-19, 2-7 E8)
Russell Sage (4-25, 1-8 E8)
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and YouTube
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