LAKEWOOD, NJ (Sept. 1, 2023) - This Labor Day Weekend Georgian Court ushers in a new era in it's volleyball program. With a brand new coach, the Shana Rayside era will officially be underway as the Lions have three games against Northeast-10 opponents in New Hampshire.

Opponents (2022 Records)
RV Southern New Hampshire Penmen (19-8, 9-3 NE10)
St. Anselm Hawks (21-10, 9-3 NE10)
St. Michaels Purple Knights (1-20, 0-12 NE10)

Where
Manchester, NH
Stan Spirou Field House at Southern New Hampshire
Stoutenburgh Gym at Saint Anselm and Saint Michael's

When
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 2-3
Saturday, Sept. 2, 11 a.m. at Southern New Hampshire
Saturday, Sept. 2, 4 p.m. at St. Anselm
Sunday, Sept. 3, 4 p.m. vs. Saint Michael's

How to Watch
• All three matches are available to watch via a free to view broadcast provided by Southern New Hampshire and St. Anselm. Links for videos and live stats can be found above and on the Lions Volleyball schedule page.

Previously vs. This Weekend's Opponents
• It's been seven years since the Lions have met any of these opponents. In 2016 GCU defeated SNHU at home in five sets. The Penmen won the first two sets before the Lions won the last three, including 15-5 in set five to steal the win.
• Georgian Court and St. Anselm last met in 2014, also in Manchester. That match also went five sets but it was the Hawks who came out on top. 
• The Lions and St. Michael's have not met since Georgian Court became an NCAA program.

CACC Preseason Rankings
• Georgian Court finished the 2022 season 11-18 and were 7-10 in conference play. They finished in fifth place in the CACC South Division.
• In the 2023 Preseason Coaches Poll, Georgian Court was picked to finish in fourth place in the South.

On the Bench
• A new face will be running the team this season as Shana Rayside steps up from Assistant to Head Coach.
• Rayside was on the Lions staff last year and played for GCU from 2016-19.

Who to Watch
• The Lions return much of their team from 2022 including AVCA All-Region selection Nylene Mateo. She led GCU with 430 kills and 5.55 points per set.
• Up the middle GCU is back with Chelsea Ross and Amiyah Woods. The two combined for 274 kills and 96 blocks last year.
• The facilitator of the offense, setter Iciar Zayas, passed out 783 assists and 7.68 assists per set last year as a freshman.
• Seniors Jessica Sprankle and Alexa Houston bring veteran leadership. Sprankle has finished with more than 150 digs in each of the last two seasons and has more than 100 career service aces. Houston is a transfer and in her third year with the program. She landed 78 kills and 13 blocks a year ago.

New Faces
• Georgian Court brought in six newcomers for 2023, three freshmen and three transfers. 
• Junior transfers Martina Croche and Giorgia Cappelletti are a pair of hitters from Italy.
• GCU added a newcomer at every position. At setter is their third transfer, Amari Morales.
• They have new freshman at middle blocker, right side and libero in Gabrielle Belony, Ta'Marrae Sears and Carmen Rivera, respectively. 

Individual Milestones
• Jessica Sprankle needs 12 more service aces to get into the Lions all-time top-10.   
• With 35 more kills, Nylene Mateo will get to 800 for her career. 
• One more block will bring Chelsea Ross to 125. 
• Ava Venneri is 21 digs shy of 200.
• Amiyah Woods will hit 100 blocks with nine more and 200 kills with four more. 
• Iciar Zayas is four digs away from 250 and 17 assists from 800. She'll be just the nine Lion to ever reach 800 career assists. 

About Southern New Hampshire
• Last season Southern New Hampshire advanced all the way to the Elite Eight after winning the NCAA East Region with a five-set win over Adelphi.
• The Penmen were 19-8 overall and 9-3 in the Northeast 10 and picked to finish fourth in the NE10 Preseason Poll. They are receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Like GCU, SNHU also has a new coach this season meaning Saturday's matchup will feature a pair of 0-0 coaches. Braden Zamore takes over at the helm of the Penmen. Zamone was the coach for eight seasons at St. Anselm. 
• SNHU brings back offensive leader Ana Pimenta who led the squad with 326 kills.
• Defensively, the Penmen also return libero Deanne Wilson who picked up 476 digs. 

About St. Anselm
• Like SNHU, St. Anselm also made a run in the NCAA Tournament. They bowed out in the quarterfinals of the NE10 Championship, but advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinal round before the Penmen knocked them out.
• Overall, the Hawks were 21-10 last year with a 9-3 conference mark. The NE10 Coaches put them seventh in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
• With Zamore departing for SNHU, that means the Hawks will also have a new Head Coach this season. Melissa Ouellet takes over for Zamore. She was an assistant with the Hawks in 2022.
• St. Anselm is without their leading point scorer from 2022, Lauren Casey who totaled 340 kills and 414.5 points. Kaitlin Brown was behind Casey with 232 kills and 297.5 points and is back for her senior season. 
• The Hawks will be search of a new setter after Michelle Henwood graduated. She passed out 9.00 assists per set last year and led the team with 44 service aces. 
• Fifth year Caroline Belmontez is also back as the team's libero. She led St. Anselm with 398 digs last season.

About St. Michael's
• All three opponents the Lions face this weekend will have new head coaches. Lauren Brough takes over head coaches duties after being an assistant the previous three years.
• A year ago the Purple Knights were just 1-20 and went 0-12 in the NE10. 
• After finishing the 2015 season 12-12, the Purple Knights have been below .500 every year since and have not won more than one game in any of the last five seasons. 
• This season, St. Michael's is bringing back their top four in kills from 2022 led by Ella Patterson with 144. They also have three of their top-four in digs from last year back as well.
• Junior Alexandra Baez Rentas led the Purple Knights last year with 536 assists and 278 digs.