IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata University volleyball is headed back to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament for the second-straight year, and the 2015 season brings the Mighty Macs the fourth seed in the tournament and a home quarterfinal match.
 
Immaculata will host fifth-seeded Marywood University on Tuesday night, November 3, at 6 p.m. for a quarterfinal contest in what is a rematch of the regular-season finale as the two teams meet for the second time in just four days.
 
When the Mighty Macs (13-7) and Pacers (8-16) faced off this past Saturday, the winner knew they would hold the fourth position and a home playoff date. Immaculata, which was celebrating Senior Day, came out and swept Marywood to grab the fourth seed and set up the rematch. The Mighty Macs finished with an 8-3 mark in CSAC play, and Marywood settled into the fifth seed with a 7-4 CSAC record, holding the tiebreaker against Notre Dame of Maryland University.
 
While it is the second-consecutive season the Mighty Macs have qualified for the conference postseason tournament, it marks the first time since the 2008 season that Immaculata has earned the right to host a playoff match. Immaculata entered the 2008 tournament also as the fourth seed, but the Mighty Macs were defeated in the quarterfinals by fifth-seeded Baptist Bible College, now Summit.
 
Immaculata was the fifth seed in the CSAC Tournament in 2014 and traveled to fourth-seeded Cairn in the quarterfinals. The Mighty Macs were able to defeat the Highlanders, 3-1, to advance to the semifinals. Immaculata faced off against top-seed and eventual CSAC champion Cabrini in the semifinals with a 3-0 loss to the Cavaliers.
 
Immaculata is led this season largely by underclassmen, as the Mighty Macs do not list any four-year seniors on the roster. Two of Immaculata's starters are freshmen, two are sophomores, and the remaining spots are juniors as the Mighty Macs feature a starting junior setter and libero.
 
Sophomore Gabrielle Guerrera leads the team with 179 kills (2.63 kills/set), while adding 62 digs and 22 total blocks. Guerrera is eighth in the CSAC in kills per set, and her .226 hitting percentage is seventh-best in the CSAC. Freshman Shelby Belk is second on the team in kills (177), while being Immaculata's best hitter with a .296 percentage. Belk is 10th in the CSAC in kills per set and fourth in the conference in hitting percentage. Belk also has 21 service aces (36), 41 digs and tops the Mighty Macs with 42 total blocks. Sophomore Arden Vizzard is another big presence for the Mighty Macs in the front with 143 kills to go along with 198 digs, 11 total blocks and 22 service aces.
 
The front row for the Mighty Macs also features junior Tess Kieffer and freshman Morgan Wentz. Kieffer has played in all 20 matches this season for Immaculata with 82 kills and 18 blocks. Wentz has 53 sets played with 62 kills and the second-most blocks on the squad with 28.  
 
Junior Maranda Jones has taken over setting duties this season for the Mighty Macs with 568 assists, and has added 13 services aces, 144 digs and 10 blocks. Jones lists third in the CSAC in assists per set (7.89).
 
Junior libero Molly Truitt paces all Mighty Macs with 296 digs, and she lists fifth in the CSAC with 4.17 digs per set. Truitt has served up a team-high 26 aces this season. Juniors Colleen Martin and Allie Leonard are instrumental in the back row for the Mighty Macs. Martin has earned a starting position this season, playing in 45 sets with 90 digs and 13 service aces. Leonard has appeared in 57 sets making 118 digs.
 
The other quarterfinal matchup features No. 3 Keystone hosting No. 6 Notre Dame. Cabrini earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and Neumann is the second seed, and both squads earned byes into the semifinals. No. 1 Cabrini will host the lowest remaining seed on Thursday, Nov. 5, and No. 2 Neumann will host the other quarterfinal winner. The championship match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the highest seed.