NEC Blitz Week 4 Women’s Volleyball Power Rankings
With several key matches in the past week, we’ve seen some movement across the board.
1. FDU (8-5)
FDU claims the top spot after a dominant week, winning four straight matches. Eleonora Tosi continues to shine with 2.59 kills/set and a .296 hitting percentage, while Hannah Schmidt’s 5.78 assists per set are propelling the Knights’ balanced attack. Their latest victories over George Mason and Morgan State solidify their position as the team to beat heading into NEC play. It might be a good time to remind you that we’ll be on campus to cover when FDU takes on Saint Francis in Loretto, PA!
Key Player: Eleonora Tosi (2.59 kills/set, .296 hitting percentage)
2. Chicago State (4-8)
Despite their three-match losing streak, Chicago State holds steady at number two. Their earlier form keeps them near the top, with Patrycja Lagida still a force, averaging 3.13 kills/set. Julieta Sandez continues to be dominant in both hitting percentage (.319) and blocks, but they’ll need to bounce back in the coming week.
Key Player: Patrycja Lagida (3.13 kills/set, 3.47 points/set)
3. Saint Francis U (4-8)
Saint Francis had an up-and-down week, managing a solid win over Indiana State but dropping matches against Purdue Fort Wayne and Eastern Michigan. It was just enough to keep them at number 3. Maggie Hogan remains their offensive leader, ranking second in the NEC in points per set (3.89), and Korrin Burns continues to be impactful.
Key Player: Maggie Hogan (3.38 kills/set, 3.89 points/set)
4. LIU (2-11)
LIU threatens to move up after snapping their losing streak with a 3-0 sweep over Iona. Despite earlier losses to Bryant and St. John’s, Camelia Melendez and Alasha Colon remain crucial for the Sharks. Colon leads the NEC with 4.68 digs/set, anchoring their defense. The win gives them some much-needed momentum before conference play starts. We’ve said it before: buy stock in the Sharks now.
Key Player: Alasha Colon (4.68 digs/set)
5. Central Connecticut (2-10)
Central Connecticut struggled this past week, falling in straight sets to Bryant, UConn, New Hampshire, and Brown. However, they showed earlier signs of potential last Tuesday with their strong play from Lauren Milani, who ranks fifth in the NEC with 0.50 service aces per set. With a challenging non-conference slate behind them, CCSU looks to regroup for NEC play.
Key Player: Lauren Milani (2.80 kills/set, 0.50 aces/set)
6. Stonehill (3-7)
Stonehill sinks a hair down to sixth due to not playing last week. Mia Berardino remains their offensive leader, averaging 2.92 kills/set, and their balanced attack makes them a threat in conference matchups. With just a few games left before they get set for NEC play, Stonehill will be looking to make a jump in the standings to ride into league play with momentum.
Key Player: Mia Berardino (2.92 kills/set, .274 hitting percentage)
7. Le Moyne (1-9)
Le Moyne continues to struggle, now having lost five straight matches, including their most recent defeat against Binghamton, and unfortunately weren’t able to pick up positive momentum from winning their first match. Le Moyne will need to turn things around quickly as they prepare for NEC competition.
Key Player: Hayley Gerken (5.03 assists/set)
8. Mercyhurst (1-9)
Mercyhurst remains at the bottom after extending their losing streak to six matches. Paige Miller has shown promise, averaging 2.73 kills/set, but the team has struggled to find consistency. Right now, the Lakers just haven’t shown that they’ll be able to keep afloat when conference play starts. They’ll need to shore up their defense and offense to compete.
Key Player: Paige Miller (2.73 kills/set)
Final Thoughts:
FDU is heading into conference play on fire, with Chicago State still looming as a top contender despite their current slump. Saint Francis U and LIU are rounding into form, while Central Connecticut and Stonehill look like they could make some noise once the NEC slate begins. Le Moyne and Mercyhurst will need to focus on improving their overall play to compete with the top teams.
