BROCKPORT, NY – The SUNY Brockport women's volleyball team is set to play its first matches this weekend at the 17th Annual River Hawk Classic hosted by No. 22 Susquehanna Valley in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The two-day tournament will take place from Friday, September 2^nd through Saturday, September 3^rd. The Golden Eagles will play the first match of the tournament against UMASS Boston which starts at 5:00 pm Friday night. They will then play in the final two matches on Saturday evening at 3:00 pm vs Chatham University and at 5:00 pm vs host Susquehanna University.
 
Dawn of a New Era: Kate Isaksen was promoted to the role of Women's Volleyball head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles during the 2021 season. Isaksen came to Brockport in 2021 after graduating from Clarkson University in 2020 where she played volleyball and was a double major in computer science and mathematics. At Clarkson, Isaksen was a team captain for the Golden Knights for two seasons, along with a three-time All-American, three-time ECAC Div. III Defensive Player of the Year, three-time AVCA All-Region, two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, and four-year All-Conference selection. Isaksen concluded her collegiate career with 3,217 digs and 6.60 digs per set, holding the seventh and ninth best marks in NCAA Division III history, and is the only player to do so entirely in the 25-points per set era. Isaksen spent the last full year as an assistant coach at SUNY Brockport alongside SUNYAC Coach of the Decade Steve Pike. She helped guide the Golden Eagles to a 17-10 overall record and a 6-3 mark in SUNYAC play during the 2021 season. Brockport went a perfect 12-0 on their home court, including a win over Buffalo State in the SUNYAC Tournament Quarterfinals. At 23 years of age, Isaksen will enter the 2022 season as the youngest head coach in all the SUNYAC.  
Supporting Staff: The Golden Eagles will return three assistants to the team from last season, along with the Introduction of two new coaches, one, a three-time SUNYAC Champion for the Golden Eagles volleyball program and a Division I Siena College Women's Volleyball Assistant, along with a recent member of the University of Southern California Division I Men's Volleyball Team.
 
Maddie Torres returns for her fifth year as a member of the Golden Eagles coaching staff. Prior to Brockport, Torres played four years as a setter at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland from 2014-2017. There, Her 3,576 assists and 190 service aces rank her with the third and fifth most in the school's history. In 2015 she achieved the fifth most assists in a single season with 1,298 while as a freshman in 2014, she had the 10^th most service aces in a single season with 63.
 
Alyse Wenzel returns for her fifth year as a volunteer assistant coach with the Brockport women's volleyball team. Prior to Brockport, she was recruited to play D1 volleyball at the University of Hartford, where she played for four years. Jessa Stores returns for her senior year having spent the previous three seasons as a student assistant with the women's volleyball team.
 
Aimee Spilman returns to the nest where she spent four years playing for the Green and Gold as a defensive specialist from 2014-2017 where she played in a total of 346 sets and recorded 848 digs along with being a part of three straight SUNYAC Championship teams from 2015-2017 over the course of her collegiate career. Following Brockport, Spillman has spent time coaching for Paradigm Volleyball Club along with working as an assistant for Division I Siena College Women's Volleyball team.
 
Another coach joining the staff this season with Division I experience is Kyle Gear. Gear join's the staff as he returns to his hometown of Rochester, NY where he played on the men's high school volleyball team at Gates Chili before playing for the Division I University of Southern California (USC) Trojans men's volleyball team. While at USC, Gear recorded 262 kills (hitting .335), 113 blocks, 85 digs, and 30 aces while appearing in 69 matches (starting 44) over the span of his career from 2018-2021.
 
2022 SUNYAC Preseason Poll: The Golden Eagles were ranked No. 3 in this season's SUNYAC women's volleyball preseason poll as voted by the conference coaches with SUNY Geneseo ranked No. 2 and reigning SUNYAC Champions SUNY Cortland taking home the top spot. Brockport will play for its ninth title overall and first since 2017. The full rankings are listed below.

1. Cortland
2. Geneseo
3. Brockport
4. New Paltz
5. Fredonia
6. Buffalo State
7. Oswego
8. Oneonta
9. Plattsburgh
10. Potsdam

Know The Team: This season, SUNY Brockport will return 10 women to the team while adding five freshmen and two transfer students.
 
The Hitters: Isaksen will have an even mixture of familiar faces and new talent at the outside and opposite hitter positions where the team welcomes back the 2021 team leader in points (341.0), kills (304), total attacks (830), and matches started/played, (26/27) Andrea Coyle, (Coil) for her fifth year Last season, Coyle also earned an All-American Honorable Mention along with being named All-Region for the first time in her career as well as earning her first All-SUNYAC nod, being selected First-Team All-Conference.
 
Along with Coyle, Megan Loomis, the 2021 SUNYAC Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Conference selection returns for her junior season. Loomis finished last year fifth in the conference with 3.12 kills per set and sixth with 3.6 points per set. She also totaled 21 aces and 69 digs for the squad. Her tally of 187 kills on the year was third best on the team.
 
Jordan Thompson returns for her senior season where last year, she finished fourth on the team in points (148.0) and kills (130), along with fifth in total attacks (396). Krysti McDonald will also enter her senior season at Brockport where she ranked fifth on the team in points (130.0) and kills (119) while finishing fourth in total attacks (403). Joining the Green and Golds talented hitters' group for the 2022 season are Monroe Community College transfer Maddie Farnsworth as well as freshmen Alexis Sison and Julia Reedy.
 
point, SET, match: Brockport will return its two top setters from last season, fifth-year Kerri McHale and junior Ashley Allen.
 
Last year, McHale got her first All-SUNYAC selection, earning Third-Team All-Conference at setter. McHale set her teammates up successfully all season long, tallying a total of 705 assists. She not only led Brockport in assists but also had the most assists out of anyone in the entire SUNYAC conference. Her 705 assists in her senior year were a career-high which brings her career total to 1,901 assists placing her eighth in program history. McHale also contributed 39 service aces, 181 digs, and 12 blocks on the year. Allen rejoins the team this season finishing second on the team in set assists last season with 272, while appearing in 80 sets and all 27 matches. Defensively, Allen finished the 2021 campaign with 34 digs, one solo block and 14 block assists.
 
Stuck in the Middle: SUNY Brockport returns the team of Myah and Kaia (ky-uh) at the middle blocker position while introducing freshman Jayda Pyle and Alenna (uh-len-uh) Williamson to the rotation.

Myah Frostclapp will return for her fifth year at SUNY Brockport where last season she finished second on the team in solo blocks (12) and block assists (27) with a total of 39.0 blocks and 25 digs. She placed sixth on the team in points (118.5), kills (90) and total attacks (235). In her first season, Kaia Hubbard appeared in 10 sets while making one solo block and three block assists.  
Defense Wins Championships: Defensive Specialist/Libero's returning this season are Madalyn Bowen and Brooklyn Sullivan along with newcomers Maren Lutz and transfer Ava Pernu. Bowen finished last season with 300 digs, the second most on the team as she appeared in all 27 matches while playing in 94 sets and tallying 33.0 total points on three kills and 30 set assists.
Brooklyn Sullivan appeared in a total of 17 sets while playing in 12 matches for the Green and Gold last season.  
Key 2022 Match: This season, the Golden Eagles will open the season on the road at the 17^th Annual River Hawk Classic in Selinsgrove, PA. hosted by American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll Nationally Ranked No. 22 Susquehanna Valley. The Golden Eagles' home opener will take place the weekend of September 9^th and 10^th when they'll host the 2022 Brockport Invite which will feature William Smith, the University of Rochester, and Hamilton College. Following a series of non-conference matches and tournaments, Brockport will host the first conference matches against SUNYAC opponents New Paltz and Oneonta on September 23^rd and 24^th.
 
That Wednesday the Golden Eagles will hold the first of three promotional theme nights. That night's theme will feature a whiteout where fans are expected to fill the Vlog while wearing white in a 2021 SUNYAC Semi-final rematch against SUNY Geneseo on September 28^th. Homecoming weekend will take place beginning on Friday, October 7^th, when the Golden Eagles will host Oswego State for Senior Night at 6 pm. The following day against the reigning defending 2021 SUNYAC Champions SUNY Cortland who are receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll. The Golden Eagles will hold a blackout game where fans should wear black to fill the Vlog for the final regular season home SUNYAC match of the year. Following a stretch of three road SUNYAC contests, the Green and Gold will go Pink for breast cancer awareness month against cross-city opponent St. John Fisher University on Tuesday, October 25^th at 7 pm. Carnegie Mellon Tri-Match Brockport will end the regular season on the road in Pittsburgh, PA where they will meet up with two teams who are receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll, Carnegie Mellon and Denison College on Saturday, October 29^th before the start of the SUNYAC Tournament that spans from Tuesday, November 1^st to Saturday, November 5^th.
 
Coaches Comments: When asked about her thoughts on the upcoming season, here's what Head Coach Kate Isaksen commented, "I am excited to get out on the court to compete! The team has worked hard this summer and preseason and we are looking forward to it showing on the court. Everyone wants to push each other each and every day and get better, which creates a very competitive environment in the gym. I am eager to see what the team can accomplish this season"