Lions Ledger: Women's Soccer Home Opener Highlights Busy Weekend

Sep 08, 2021

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RECORDS: Saint Leo: 1-3 | UNC Pembroke: 4-2 | Albany State: 1-1 | Arkansas - Fort Smith: 3-1 | Valdosta State: 2-3
Saint Leo opened the 2021 season at the Ferris State Tournament where they faced a pair of top-25 teams and a tough four-match schedule. The Lions dropped three of the four matches with the victory coming in a 3-0 sweep of McKendree. The Lions will face another tough schedule at the VSU Fall Tournament with UNC Pembroke and Albany State taking on the Lions on Friday and Arkansas-Fort Smith and the host Blazers facing the Lions on Saturday.
Senior Ashley Quero, who was named to the Ferris State Tournament All-Tournament Team, is leading the Lions with 2.86 kills per set over the first four matches. Fellow senior Brooke Turner is just behind her teammate with 2.42 kills per set. Sophomore Margaret Schirm, playing in her first full season, is leading the team in blocks with 0.86 per set. Senior Payton Bellano is currently second in the SSC at 4.50 digs per set from her libero position.
UNC Pembroke opened the season at the USC Aiken Invitational where the Braves went 2-2 with wins over Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman and losses to USC Aiken and Auburn Montgomery. The Braves earned a pair of victories as they hosted a tri-match with Newberry and Winston-Salem State.
Junior Shannon Skryd leads the Braves with 3.10 kills per set over the first six matches. Junior Brianna Warren is also a strong hitter with 2.60 kps this season. Warren and sophomore Morgan Gibbs have been patrolling the net averaging 1.25 and 1.00 blocks per set, respectively. Skryd on the other hand also leads the team in digs per set at 3.30.
Albany State has played a pair of matches this season, a 3-0 victory at home versus Fort Valley State and a 3-0 loss on the road at Georgia College.
Freshman Sydney Melton is leading the Golden Rams attack with an impressive 4.33 kills per set. Freshman Neri Humphrey leads the team in blocking with 0.80 blocks per set. Melton also leads the team in digs at 3.5 pet set.
Arkansas-Fort Smith opened its season at the Lady Buff Volleyball Classic hosted by Wet Texas A&M. The Lady Lions went 3-1 at the event with wins over Fort Lewis, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Adams State before falling to the host Lady Buffs.
The Lady Lions are led by redshirt freshman Reagan Macha and sophomore Paola Fragalle who are averaging 2.53 and 2.47 kills per set, respectively. Sophomore Hannah Holland and redshirt freshman Chyra Thompson have each achieved double-figure blocks through the first four matches with Holland leading the way averaging 1.19 blocks per set. Sophomore libero Lexy Lewis is leading the team with 4.31 digs per set.
Valdosta State travelled to the Flagler Saints Invitational to open the 2021 season and went 1-3 at the event with losses to Eckerd, Flagler and No. 6 Lewis. Their lone victory came over Belmont Abbey. The Blazers returned home for a Tuesday match versus Edward Waters which they won 3-0.
The Blazers rely heavily on three hitters so far this season including junior Jessie Monney (2.74 kps), freshman Kylie Stroehlein (2.47 kps) and graduate student Deona Mims (2.26 kps). Sophomore Kennedy DeLuca has been covering the net for a 1.19 blocks per set clip. Redshirt freshman libero Lyara Rosario holds a slight 3.58 digs per set to 3.00 digs per set lead over Stroehlein for the team best.

RECORDS: Saint Leo 0-1-1 | No. 9 West Florida 2-0-0 | Texas A&M International 0-1-0
Saint Leo opened the week with a 1-1 draw at Eckerd in a non-conference contest and fell 4-1 at No. 1 Flagler.
Coach O'Connor's opening week in his return to the Saint Leo sidelines saw goalkeeper Alyssa Abernot tally the first goal of the season. Abernot filled in Eckerd's box in a set piece and tapped in Nina Mueller's corner kick. The unusual goal was enough to draw with the Tritons.
On Sunday, Mueller again, served up a perfect ball off a free kick to set up defender Bella Arato to convert the set piece.
Abernot has protected the Green and Gold's net for 200 minutes. The redshirt junior has faced 29 shots in which she posted seven saves. She enters the week with a .0583 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average.
No. 9 West Florida remains undefeated after taking care of Texas A&M International, 2-1, and St. Mary's (TX) in a 3-1 final. Blair Cowan paces the Argonauts' offense with a pair of goals and an assist. Julia Comin, Destiny Hammac, and Brianna Pope have also contributed a goal apiece.
HISTORY: The regional foes have the series against record at 8-1-2 over the Green and Gold. The program's last met on Sunday, September 22, 2019 when the No. 17 Argonauts outlasted the Lions 1-0.
Texas A&M International ended up on the wrong side of a 2-1 overtime decision to West Florida on Friday. Before traveling to Saint Leo on Sunday, the Dustdevils will stop by Sunshine State Conference's Florida Southern on Friday.
Valeria Macias tallied the Dustdevil's lone goal in the early season. Teammate, Fabiana Solano, has protected the net for 97:58 minutes in which she recorded six saves.
HISTORY: Sunday will be the first time Saint Leo and Texas A&M International has met for a women's soccer match.

RECORDS: Saint Leo 0-1-1 | Montevallo 1-0-1 | West Alabama 1-1-0
Saint Leo is coming off an overtime 1-1 draw with No. 18 West Florida on Sunday, Sep. 5 at the Saint Leo Soccer Field. Josef Hefele netted his first collegiate career goal in the 58th minute when he converted a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Jackson Eckley tallied a save coming in the 108th minute to preserve the 1-1 decision.
Friday's non-conference meeting at Montevallo marks the 2021 Lions first test on the road.
Montevallo hosts Saint Leo following a 3-2 win over Lincoln Memorial on Thursday and a 2-2 Tie with Sunshine State Conference Florida Southern Saturday afternoon.
Fabio Menzel paces the Falcon offense with a pair of goals and an assist. The sophomore midfielder recorded a goal and assist against Lincoln Memorial and found the back of the Moccasins' net most recently.
Salvador Plaza has earned both starts in the goal for Montevallo. Plaza has faced 23 shots while registering nine saves for a .692 save percentage and 1.89 goals allowed average
HISTORY: The teams last met on Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at the Saint Leo Soccer Field. The Lions' offense broke out a pair of late goals to lift Saint Leo 3-1 over Montevallo.
West Alabama opened the season hosting Sunshine State Conference school, Eckerd, where the Tigers defeated the Tritons, 2-0. On Sunday, the Tigers were tripped up at Lincoln Memorial in a high scoring 3-2 final.
Three different goal scorers contributed to the Tigers offense in Liam Condone, Peter Oyetunji, and Killian Griffin. Meanwhile, Jules Dechert has defended the net for 180 minutes, seeing 20 shots in which he earned a pair of saves. He enters the week with a .400 save percentage and 1.50 goals allowed average.
HISTORY: Sunday's game marks the first time the Lions and Tigers will meet for a men's soccer game with Coach Parker at the helm. The program's last met on Friday, Sep. 19, 2014, where No. 9 Saint Leo took down No. 21 West Alabama in a 1-0 decision.

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