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Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University Pioneers
Volleyball Huddle Photo

Volleyball Welcomes Manhattan & Iona for Weekend MAAC Series

10/16/2025 2:58:00 PM

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team will close out a four-match home stand at the Pitt Center on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 17-18, as they welcome Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foes Manhattan and Iona. Friday's matchup with the Jaspers is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start while first serve on Saturday versus Iona is set for 6:00 p.m.

HONOR ROLL
Earning their third and second conference honors respectively, sophomore Libero Miliani Villarreal and first year Ryleigh Short each scored Jersey Mike's MAAC accolades on Monday with Villarreal securing her third Libero of the Week distinction and Short picking up her second Rookie of the Week award. Villarreal averaged 5.88 digs per second over a pair of weekend matches, including a high of 28 in a four-set win over Marist, her second highest single match total of the season. Short paced the Pioneers offense averaging a double double with 36 kills and 22 digs combined over two matches.

LEADING LIBERO
Sophomore libero Miliani Villarreal continues to impress in her second season with the Pioneers, as she ranks first in the conference in total digs (334) and second in digs per set (4.51). This past week, Villarreal averaged 5.88 digs per set in a pair of MAAC matches, with 19 against Siena, and her second highest single-match total of the season with 28 against Marist.

BIG TIME BLOCK
Graduate student Cristina Montanez stepped up big in the middle this past weekend, finishing the four-set win over Marist with a career-high 10 blocks. The double digit blocks for Montanez vaults her into the lead for the Pioneers with 53 total blocks across 72 sets for an average of 0.74 blocks per set.

ACROSS THE NET
SCOUTING MANHATTAN

  • Heading into this weekend, the Jaspers are 2-14 overall and 0-7 in MAAC play. 
  • The Jaspers have dropped their last seven straight matches including back-to-back at home last weekend against Canisius and Niagara.
  • In their most recent match, Manhattan forced a five-set decision against Niagara, a team that swept the Jaspers earlier this season on the road. 
  • Much of the Jaspers success has come at the net where they are third in the MAAC with 120.5 total blocks averaging 2.15 per set.
  • Leading the Jaspers attack is rookie right side Hanna Kaczynska who enters the weekend with 167 kills for an average of 2.98 per set. She is also among the top three leading blockers with 45 total.
  • Senior defensive specialist Teresa Garza leads the team with 167 digs with an average of 3.04 per set.  

ALL-TIME SERIES

  • SHU will meet the Jaspers for the eighth time in the history of the program with Manhattan owning a 4-3 advantage in the previous seven matchups.  
  • After an 11-year drought in the series, Sacred Heart scored a five-set victory last season in the first meeting as MAAC foes and what was the first ever MAAC match for the Pioneers.

SCOUTING IONA

  • Following a weekend split versus Niagara (W, 3-2) and Canisius (L, 1-3), Iona enters this coming weekend with a 7-14 overall record and a mark of 2-5 in the MAAC.
  • For the Gaels four of their seven conference matches have been pushed to a fifth and deciding set including the other MAAC win which came against Manhattan.
  • As a team, Iona sits towards the bottom half of the conference offensively with freshman outside hitter Julia Leonardo pacing the Gaels with 208 kills with an average of 3.20 per set.
  • Overall, Leonardo is one of four players with 100+ kills and also leads that group with a .218 hitting percentage.
  • Defensively, Iona enters the weekend first in the MAAC with a combined 1,418 digs, nearly 400 more than the next closest team.
  • Leading the way on that side of the ball is sophomore defensive specialist Avery Gaume who has 313 digs to her credit with an average of 4.06 per set.

ALL-TIME SERIES

  • The Pios will meet the Gaels for an 18th time on Saturday, with Iona owning a 13-4 overall record in the previous 17 matchups. 
  • Since joining the MAAC, Sacred Heart is 1-1 against Iona meeting twice last season with a three-set sweep in the regular season and a three-set loss in the MAAC Championship. The regular season meeting last year was the first time the two teams met since the 2017 campaign.

 

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