POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist Volleyball team begins its 2021 season with a trip to Arizona to compete in the Cactus Classic on Friday July 27 and Saturday, July 28. The Red Foxes are set to square off against Arizona and UCSD at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, on Friday, before closing the tournament with a game against New Mexico State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.  

 

CACTUS CLASSIC SCHEDULE

Here is the layout of the entire Cactus Classic this weekend:
 

Aug 27 (9:30 PM)	New Mexico St. at Arizona
Aug 27 (1:00 PM)	Marist at Arizona
Aug 27 (3:30 PM)	UC San Diego vs. New Mexico State
Aug 27 (7:30 PM)	Marist vs. UC San Diego
Aug 28 (4:30 PM)	UC San Diego at Arizona
Aug 28 (2:00 PM)	New Mexico State vs. Marist

 

FOLLOW ALONG THIS SEASON

• All of Marist's home matches will be broadcasted live on either ESPN3 or ESPN+. Visit our schedule page for links to available streams for away games. 
• Live statistics for every home match will be available courtesy of GoRedFoxes.com. Visit our schedule page for links to stats for away games. 
• Follow @MaristVB on both twitter and Instagram for live notifications and score updates during games, as well as program news throughout the season.

 

PROGRAM STATUS

The Red Foxes played just four matches in the abbreviated season last year, finishing 1-3. In 2019, the team's last full season, Marist finished with an overall record of 15-15, which included an impressive 12-6 record in MAAC matches. The Red Foxes entered the MAAC Championships as the #4 seed, and promptly swept #5 Niagara in the first round of the tournament. Marist advanced to take on #1 Fairfield, but lost to the eventual MAAC Champions in a five-set thriller. Earlier this week, Marist was picked to finish fourth in the conference in the 2021 MAAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. They will turn to a new-look roster in order to shatter those expectations. Click HERE for more on the preseason poll. 

 

SENIORS & GABBY

• Returning for their second and third stints as captains, respectively, McKinley Fox and Morgan Owens lead a senior group also consisting of Skylar Harrison and Madelyn Waumans. 
• Gabby Murray is the only non-senior with a full season of experience under her belt, and is currently the only junior on the team.
• Fox returns for her third season as the team's primary setter in 2021. She is approaching the program's top-10 in career assists, and will look to crack that list this season.
• Owens enters her fourth year as a key contributor to Marist's defense. She has 502 digs and 39 aces in her career. 
• Waumans begins her senior year with some solid experience as an outside hitter. The California product has already racked up 162 kills and 24 blocks in her Marist tenure thus far.
• In her lone full season, Murray was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team in 2019, and will be a key figure in the middle of the court this season for the Red Foxes.
• Harrison is working on returning from injury, so her workload could be managed early on. 

 

NEW FACES

• This year's new faces consist of a group of seven freshman: Jaya Bhagat, Jillian Hanna, Julianna Lavner, Lauren Lietzke, Jaden Reasor, Sally Tietjen, and Alyssa White.
• Click HERE to learn more about Hanna & White.
• Click HERE to learn more about Bhagat, Lavner, Lietzke, Reasor, & Tietjen. 

 

SOPHOMORES

This year's sophomore class was able to get four matches of experience in 2020-21. This group will be crucial to the Red Foxes' success in 2021. 

• Jordan Newblatt was a standout performer in the abbreviated 2020-21 season. following her first week with the team, Newblatt was named MAAC Rookie of the Week after collecting a 16 kill-16 dig double-double in her first career match against Iona, and then following that up with eight kills and 12 digs in the second leg of a double header. 
• Sasha van der Merwe also had an impressive debut with the Red Foxes last season, totaling 30 kills in three matches, including a season-high 12 against Rider. 
• Kendall O'Brien saw time in all four of Marist's matches, spending time as both a libero and defensive specialist, totaling 32 digs. 
• Vanessa Zolg, Gabriella Heimbauer, and Anne Mahler also return after seeing limited action last year, but will look to play a larger role in the 2021 season.

COACHING STAFF

• Head Coach Sean Byron enters his third year with the Marist volleyball program. After a 15-15 (12-6 MAAC) finish in 2019, Byron's Red Foxes finished 1-3 in an abbreviated 2020-21 season due to COVID-19.
• The longest tenured coach on the volleyball staff, Paul Vink-Lainas enters his fifth year coaching Marist. During his tenure at Marist, players have earned success both on and off the court winning two All-Conference, one All-Tournament, two All-Rookie and 28 All-Academic MAAC Awards all while compiling a 24-16 MAAC conference record.
• Former assistant coach Kelsey Lahey is no longer with the program as of this summer after accepting the director of volleyball operations job at Marquette University.
• Assistant Coach Megan Fergus will be returning for her second stint with the program in 2021.

 

SCOUTING THE FIELD

• Arizona went 10-11 last season, although they were 7-3 at home. The Wildcats return four starters, including Sofia Maldonado Diaz who was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last year. 
• New Mexico State is coming off a 16-2 season where it captured its second-straight WAC Regular Season Title. The Aggies were picked to finish second in the Western Division in the WAC Preseason Poll with, which included Preseason All-WAC members Lia Mosher, Victoria Barrett, Shaney Lipscomb and Carly Aigner-Swesey.
• For UCSD, the tournament will mark the program's first slate of competition as an NCAA Division I team and a member of the Big West Conference. The Tritons were picked to finish seventh in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Red Foxes' home opener will be held on Tuesday, August 31 against Albany at 7 p.m. in McCann Arena. Not only will this be the team's first home match of the 2021 season, but it will also be the first home event of the entire department for the new year. Make sure to come out and show your support!