SUFFOLK vs NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE
Date Time Venue Video Stats Notes Series	Saturday, Aug. 31 12:00 PM Campus Rec Center Bristol, R.I. CNE Network RWUHawks.com GoSuffolkRams.com First Meeting

SUFFOLK vs WESTCONN
Date Time Venue Video Stats Notes Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Saturday, Aug. 31 2:00 PM Campus Rec Center Bristol, R.I. CNE Network RWUHawks.com GoSuffolkRams.com 0-3 Sept. 30, 2023, L, 3-0 Never L3

BOSTON – Suffolk volleyball heads down to Bristol, Rhode Island Saturday, Aug. 31 for the RWU Invitational. The Rams will lift the lid on their 2024 campaign against New England College at 12:00 p.m. with a match against WestConn on the schedule for 2:00 p.m.

SOCIALIZE
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and X. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAPID REWIND
Suffolk made its second straight conference semifinal run after capturing and upset, thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 first round win over Gordon, the program's first triumph over the Fightign Scots in over a decade. In the semis, the blue-and-gold fell to Beantown rival Wentworth in four sets to end the year 16-14 overall.  

Four players scooped up all-conference distinction in McKenna Keowen (first-team), Grace Cervenka (second-team), Sami Shore (third-team) and Jessica Weber (third-team). The four all-league honorees tied a program record, set by the 2022 squad.  

Throughout the year multiple Rams hit milestone achievements. Keowen became the program's all-time leader in kills with her 727th versus Western Connecticut Sept. 30, 2023. Morgan Kelsey served her 200th ace, just the second-ever Ram to do so in a sweep of Fisher Oct. 14, 2023, and Jayla Martinez joined the 1,000-assist club against Wentworth Nov. 4, 2023.

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk volleyball will continue the tradition of being led by tri-captains as the upperclassmen triad of Grace Cervenka, Jasmine James and McKenna Keowen will share the leadership role for the 2024 campaign.

MORE READING: Trio to Captain Volleyball in 2024

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk women's volleyball line-up will get an added boost from a quartet of newcomers in 2024.

The group is made up of three true freshmen in Sam Michon, Kathy Mo and Chloe Burns and junior transfer Emma Welch, who brought her talents to Beacon Hill from Lesley.   

MORE READING: Women's Volleyball Brings in Four for 2024

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's geographical make-up is spread out as the 20 Rams hail from 10 different states and one country, the Netherlands. With nine Massachusetts locals, the Bay State tops the list. A trio flew in from Michigan with California, Colorado,  Georgia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas represented by one student-athlete apiece.   

CLASS CATEGORIES
Every class is represented on Suffolk's 20-payer roster that is upperclassmen heavy with seven seniors, four juniors and one grad student. To round things out there are five sophomores and three freshmen.  

COACH'S CORNER
Scott Blanchard burst onto the scene at Suffolk and made an immediate impact. He is the master mind to the winingest team in the Rams' record books with a 20-12 overall record in 2019 and has guided his squad to the conference semis three times including the last two seasons.

The seventh-year head coach welcomes back former Suffolk standouts Hannah Fabiano '21 and Talia Lombardo '19 as assistant coaches for the third consecutive campaign. 

LIFT THE LID

• The Rams are 8-12 in match one of the year dating back to 2003. 
• Suffolk fell to Hiram, 3-1, to get last season going. 
• The blue-and-gold's last day one victory came in sweeping fashion of Wellesley to get the 2022 underway. 
• Suffolk will play at a neutral site for the second straight season and 10th time overall, fourth under Scott Blanchard's leadership. 
• The Rams are 3-4 when playing on a neutral hardwood in the initial outing of the year. 
• In straight set openers in the last 19 seasons, the blue-and-gold is 6-11. 
• If the first match has extended longer than three sets, Suffolk sits 1-1 in four set decisions and is unbeaten in a five-set, season-opening match. 
• New England College is a first-time, season-opening opponent for the blue-and-gold. 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Just over a week away from its first match of the 2024 season, Suffolk volleyball was predicted to finish fourth in the league standings according to the Conference of New England's Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MORE READING: Volleyball Tabbed Fourth in CNE Preseason Coaches' Poll

RECORD WATCH
Rams have the chance to hit multiple milestone moments in 2024. Here's what to keep an eye out on and how close Suffolk's student-athletes are to achieving them. 

PILGRIMS POINTS
New England College is coming off its first season in the Great Northeast Athletic conference (GNAC), where they finished 12-17 and 7-8 in league play in 2023.  

Returning to the Pilgrims line-up is grad student Tatiana Sampson, who holds NEC's program record for matches played (88) and career blocks (160.5), as well junior Krissy Cardello, who set the school single-season record for digs per set at 3.82 a year ago. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and New England College will meet for the first time. 

STATS SHOWDOWN vs. NEC

WOLVES WAYS
WestConn finished the 2023 campaign with a 20-8 overall record and finished third in the Little East Conference (LEC) with a 6-2 league ledger. The Wolves qualified for the LEC Tournament, but had their season end at Plymouth State in the semis. 

The Wolves attack was led by then freshman Julia Stoliker, who provided 3.27 killers per set behind a .284 attack percentage. The first-year added 0.41 aces per set and 2.85 digs per set, good for second on the squad.  

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and WestConn will meet for the second time in as many years and fourth time overall. 
• The series between the Rams and Wolves dates back to 2009. 
• Suffolk has yet to take down WestConn and sits 0-3 versus the Wolves. 
• All three matches between Suffolk and WestConn have been determined in straight sets. 
• Two of the three outings between the Rams and Wolves have taken place on neutral sites. The foes will tangle on neutral hardwood for the first time since Oct. 2, 2009.

STATS SHOWDOWN vs. WestConn


SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams make the trip to Dean for a midweek match Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m.