Bobcats Continue Homestand With Weekend Matches vs. Iona and Manhattan

Saturday, October 8

Hamden, Conn.

1:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Iona

Aryanah Diaz rises for an attack attempt at the net

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Bobcats Continue Homestand With Weekend Matches vs. Iona and Manhattan

10/7/2022 12:21:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: QU Athletic Communications

Quinnipiac Bobcats (2-11, 1-5 MAAC) vs Iona Gaels (11-6, 6-1 MAAC)
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 | 1:00 PM
Burt Kahn Court | Hamden, Conn.

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Quinnipiac Bobcats vs Manhattan Jaspers
Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 | 1:00 PM
Burt Kahn Court | Hamden, Conn.

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HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac volleyball team continues its four-game homestand with two matches this weekend on Burt Kahn Court, as it plays host to Iona on Saturday and Manhattan on Saturday. Both matches are set for a 1 p.m. first serve.

THE MATCHUP: vs. IONA

Saturday's match between the Bobcats and Gaels will mark the 26th meeting between the two programs
Iona owns a 21-4 record all-time against Quinnipiac
The last time the two sides matched up, Iona came away with a five-set victory over QU in New Rochelle on Nov. 14, 2021
Aryanah Diaz led the way with 23 kills for the Bobcats
The Gaels enter the match 11-6 on the season and 6-1 in MAAC contests
Iona is on a five-game win streak
Mackenzie Wiggins leads the Gaels with 149 kills and 178 points

THE MATCHUP: vs. MANHATTAN

Sunday's match between the Bobcats and Jaspers will mark the 19th meeting between the two programs
Manhattan owns a 10-8 record all-time against Quinnipiac
The last time the two sides matched up, Quinnipiac came away with a three-set victory over Manhattan in Riverdale on Nov. 13, 2021
Aryanah Diaz led the Bobcats with 11 kills and three service aces
The Jaspers enter the weekend at 1-15 on the season and 1-5 in MAAC contests
Manhattan is on a five-game losing streak
Julia Menocal leads the Jaspers with 172 kills and 205.5 points

LAST TIME OUT

Aryanah Diaz tallied 15 kills and 17 digs for a double-double, as the Bobcats fell just short in the home-opener against Marist, 3-2, on Oct. 5
Nicole Legg added 13 kills and eight blocks, Lexi Morse contributed 11 kills and Alexandra Tennon tallied 10 kills and seven digs in the match.

FINALLY HOME

After 338 days away, the Bobcats returned to Burt Kahn Court to host a volleyball match
QU opened its four-game homestand with a five-set loss against Marist
The Bobcats continue its homestand with weekend matches against Iona and Manhattan
QU closes the homestand on Wednesday, Oct. 12 against Siena

FIRST MAAC WIN

The Bobcats earned its first MAAC win of the season in a thrilling five-set victory over Siena on the road on Sept. 24
The Bobcats took the opening two sets, before dropping the next two
The Bobcats found themselves down 10-4 in the final set before slowly battling back to tie the set at 13-13. With the set tied, Damla Gunes scored a block at the net to give the Bobcats match point, before assisting on a kill from Alexandra Tennon to take the final set and match.
Tennon posted 16 kills and 13 digs for her third double-double of the season, while Aryanah Diaz added 14 kills and 12 digs for the Bobcats in the victory.

DOMINANT DIAZ

Senior Aryanah Diaz got off to a hot start to open MAAC competition
Diaz recorded a double-double in three consecutive MAAC matches to open conference-play
Diaz owns six double-doubles on the season, most recently tallying 15 kills and 17 digs against Marist on Oct. 5
Diaz opened MAAC play with 26 kills and 11 digs against the Purple Eagles on Sept. 17
She followed with 18 kills and 15 digs against the Golden Griffins on Sept. 18
Diaz totaled 14 kills and and 12 digs for the Bobcats in the victory over Siena on Sept. 24
Through six MAAC contests, Diaz ranks second in the conference in kills with 93

DAZZLING DAMLA

First year Damla Gunes has made an instant impact for the Bobcats through 13 games
Gunes' 327 assists on the season is tops on the team and ranks fifth in the MAAC, while her 8.18 assists per set ranks third in the MAAC
She has recorded two double-doubles on the season, most recently tallying 18 assists and 11 digs against Delaware State
She has recorded 30 or more assists five times this season, most recently tallying 35 assists in a contest against Marist on Oct. 5
She tallied 36 assists in a win over Siena on Sept. 24
55 assists in QU's contest against Canisius on Sept. 18
She posted 35 assists in QU's contest against Robert Morris on Sept. 10
Gunes tallied 55 assists and 12 digs against Fordham on Aug. 27 for the first double-double of her collegiate career
She is the first Quinnipiac player to tally 50 or more assists twice in a season since Maria Pansari did so six times in 2018
Her 55 assists in a contest stands as the most assists in a match by a MAAC player this season, doing so twice

AMAZING ALEXANDRA

Sophomore Alexandra Tennon's 164 kills on the season ranks eighth in the MAAC, while her 3.22 kills per set ranks fifth in the MAAC as well
Tennon has posted double-figure kills in 10 consecutive matches
Alexandra Tennon was named to the All-Tournament team after totaling 43 kills, 30 digs and six blocks at the Comfort Inn-vitational hosted by Morehead State
Tennon led the Bobcats in kills in all three matches, posting team-high amounts of 11 kills (Morehead State) and 16 kills twice (North Alabama/Robert Morris)

NOTORIOUS NICOLE

Graduate student Nicole Legg has proven herself to be a top two-way player in the conference
Legg is tops in the conference in hitting percentage (.383) and tied for ninth in total blocks (32)
Legg has tallied 10 or more kills in three matches this season, most recently posting 13 kills against Marist on Oct. 5
Legg recorded a season-high eight blocks against Marist on Oct. 5

WAY TO GO GI

First year Ginevra Giovagnoni has totaled 89 kills on the season
She boasts 2.97 kills per set on the season
Giovagnoni has led the Bobcats in kills in three matches this season
Giovagnoni was named the MAAC Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday, Aug. 30
This was the first weekly award honor for Giovagnoni this season after just two games played
She combined to tally a team-best 31 kills, 15 digs, two service aces and a block in Quinnipiac's opening matches against Stony Brook and Fordham
Giovagnoni recorded nine kills, eight digs and two service aces in the Bobcats' opener at Stony Brook
She followed that performance with a team-high 22 kills with a blistering .409 attack-percentage and seven digs against Fordham

NEXT TIME OUT

The Bobcats will be back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 12 when they take on MAAC foe Siena
First serve is set for 7 p.m.

HEAD COACH KYLE ROBINSON

Head Coach Kyle Robinson enters his fourth season with the Bobcats
Robinson has led the Bobcats to 28 wins in three seasons and two MAAC Tournament berths
Robinson has led QU to appearances in the MAAC Championship (2019) and MAAC Semifinals (2019, 2021)

LAST SEASON

QU earned 11 wins in last season, including nine against MAAC opponents
Earning All-MAAC First Team honors as a senior in 2021, Nicole Legg returns as a graduate student
Legg's 247 kills ranked second on the team and 11th in the MAAC, while she ranked third in total blocks (99) and led the conference with a .398 attack-percentage
Aryanah Diaz returns for her senior campaign after leading the Bobcats and ranking eighth in the MAAC with 293 kills in 2021
Diaz tallied 339 digs in 2021, the second most on the team