FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) season opens up for the Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team this weekend, as the Pioneers welcome Quinnipiac and Merrimack for league matches at the William H. Pitt Center as a part of the University's Family Weekend. SHU plays the Bobcats first on Friday at 7 p.m. before hosting the Warriors at 6 p.m. 

BACK IN THE MAAC
This weekend marks the opening of the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) season. SHU finished fifth at the end of last regular season and was picked fourth in the 2025 preseason coaches poll. The Pios went 11-7 in their first MAAC season, winning five of their last six league matches. Fairfield claimed the top seed in 2024 MAAC Tournament and won its second straight league crown with a four-set victory over second-seeded Quinnipiac. 

LEAGUE STATS
The Pioneers have two players ranking first in the MAAC heading into this season. Miliani Villarreal paces the league with 195 digs, tallying 10+ digs in all but one match this year. Ava Roodbol sits atop the assists leaderboard with 380 through 12 matches. Both players have won two MAAC weekly awards, as Villarreal is a two-time MAAC Libero of the Week and Roodbol is a two-time Setter of the Week.

ACROSS THE NET
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC

• The Bobcats head into the weekend with a 3-9 record in non-conference play. 
• QU owns wins over Western Illinois, Stonehill and Dartmouth so far this season. 
• After defeating the Big Green, the Bocats lost back-to-back matches last weekend to Temple and Presbyterian at Temple's Cherry and White Invitational. 
• The Bobcats are led by 2024 MAAC Player of the Year Elena Giacomini. 
• Giacomini is fourth in the country in attacks (572), fifth in points (236.5) and seventh in kills (210). 
• Damla Gunes has been integral to the offense, as she ranks second in the MAAC with 370 assists this season. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

• SHU leads Quinnipiac in the all-time series, 15-12, going into this weekend. 
• The two teams split last season's matches, the first between teams as MAAC opponents.

SCOUTING MERRIMACK

• The Warriors have gotten off to a rough start to the season, sitting at 2-7 heading into the weekend. 
• Merrimack is hitting at a .104 clip, while averaging 8.8 kills per set as a team. 
• Sophomore outside hitter Mckenna Shotwell paces the team with 2.12 kills per set, tallying a career-best 20 kills in a five-setter against CCSU. 
• Defensively, junior libero Ella Maldonado is averaging a team-best 3.12 digs per set, with 21 in the team's win over Central. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

• The Pios and Warriors have met 16 times prior to Saturday's contest. 
• SHU is riding a 13-match win streak into the weekend bout, with the last Merrimack win coming in 1996.