Brockport, NY – This weekend, the No. 3 SUNY Brockport women's volleyball team is set to host No. 6 Russell Sage for the 1^st Round of the Empire 8 Tournament. This opening round postseason matchup is scheduled for a 1pm start at the Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium.
 
Follow Along Live: Live video and stats will be available for the match on Saturday. Please check the following links to keep up with all the action: Live Video | Live Stats
 
Clinching the 3^rd Seed: After a 1-3 start to the season in non-conference play, the Golden Eagles battled for a 7-6 record before stepping to the E8 slate. The conference schedule began with a loss to St. John Fisher, before the team went on a tear. The Green and Gold rattled off nine wins in a row, including six sweeps during that stretch. This led Brockport to the No. 3 seed for the Empire 8 Tournament. In three seasons with the program, Head Coach Jim Clar makes his third straight postseason.
 
Round 2 in the E8: Brockport has now made it 2-for-2 as a member of the Empire 8, making the postseason in its first two seasons with the conference. This season Brockport finished third in the standings, earning a postseason home game for the first round. In 2024, the Golden Eagles traveled as the sixth seed to beat Hartwick in the opening round. However, they fell short against St. John Fisher in the E8 Semifinals. This year marks Brockport's 11^th straight postseason appearance for the program (2 Empire 8, 9 SUNYAC).
 
Protecting the Nest: Earning a home playoff match for the first time since 2023, Brockport has home court advantage on its side for the E8 Quarterfinals. Since Coach Clar took over in 2023, the Golden Eagles have been exceptional at home with a record of 20-3 playing at The Vlog. They are 7-2 at home this season going into Saturday's date with Sage.
 
Leading the Attack: The trio of Alexis Sison, Luba Butcher, and Madisen Jones spearhead the offensive effort for Brockport. Sison leads the group with 186 kills and 547 total attempts. On 510 attempts, Butcher is second with 179 kills. Jones is close behind at 171 kills, and has the team's highest kills per set mark of 2.67.
 
Setting the Table: Katilyn Jewett recently hit a career milestone for the Golden Eagles, eclipsing 2,000 assists for her career. With 624 assists on the season, she becomes just the ninth player in program history to break 2,000. Kaitlyn ranks fourth in the E8 with her average of 7.09 assists per set.
 
Defending the Net: Freshman Ana Parella leads the blocking effort for Brockport with 49 total blocks. She is credited with 12 solo blocks and 37 block assists in her first collegiate season. Classmate Luba Butcher has gotten up for 37 total blocks (30 block assists), while senior Alenna Williamson has 35 total (9 solo).
 
Keep on Digging: Gianna Felipe has stepped up with 302 digs for the Golden Eagles as the starting libero. With an average of 3.51 digs per set, she ranks eighth in the Empire 8. Alexis Sison has 216 digs for Brockport, while Kaitlyn Jewett (160) and Luba Butcher (130) have contributed as well.
 
Scouting Sage: The Gators finished the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the Empire 8, earning a record of 11-13 overall and 6-5 in the conference. They lost their final two matchups prior to the postseason against Geneseo and Brockport. The Golden Eagles swept Sage, 3-0, in the regular season matchup. Aniyah Kelley is the top attacker for Sage, racking up 205 kills on 554 total attempts.
 
E8 Semifinals: The winner of Saturday's match will move on to the Empire 8 Semifinals, scheduled for Wednesday, November 12^th. Time and opponent will be determined following the first round results.