ABOUT THE GAMES

• Millersville opens their season with the Marauder Clash, a tournament they have traditionally done well in. They boast a 36-6 record in the tournament since 2009. 
• Millersville returns just six of their 17 rostered players from last year after adding 12 freshmen and one transfer during this offseason. They were voted 6th in the PSAC East in the PSAC Coaches Preseason Poll, matching their finish from last season.
• This is the first time since the 2015 season that Millersville has opened their campaign with the Marauder Clash. The team entered last year's edition fresh off of a 4-0 sweep in West Chester's RamFest Invitational. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville added 13 new faces to their roster this offseason. 12 of those 13 were freshmen with the sole transfer being outside hitter Taylor Welter. Just five of the 19 rostered players have more than five sets of collegiate volleyball experience.
• Juniors Emma Ludwig, Mya Cascario and Madison Von Neida are the only three upperclassmen on the team. Ludwig has been the team's starting setter since arriving as a freshman and looks to collect her 2000th career assist sometime this season. Cascario ranked third on the team in aces last season while appearing in just the eighth most sets (88). Von Neida hopes to build on a 2022 season in which she recorded 145 digs while appearing in 82 sets.
• The Marauders ended last season at 16-13 and 6-8 in the PSAC, finishing sixth in the East Division for the second consecutive season. The 2023 PSAC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll also ranked them sixth of eight teams. 
   

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Wilmington concluded their season with a record of 16-15, but finished 15-5 in conference play to take third place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's South Division. The CACC's 2023 Preseason Coaches Poll tabbed them with a 3rd place finish as well.
• Junior Katie Bushong led the team in assists last season with 950 in 114 sets. She also finished fourth in digs with 239. First in that department in 2022 was Elly Collins, one of two returning seniors. Collins finished seventh and sixth in digs in a single season in 2021 and 22 with 529 and 526, respectively.
• Wilmington's group features a similar lack of experience to Millersville, as they have just six upperclassmen on a 16-player roster.

SCOUTING THE TARS

• The Tars are coming off of a season in which they finished 7-24 and 2-18, earning them last place within the Sunshine State Conference (SSC). The SSC Preseason Coaches poll agreed with that, as they were voted to finish 11th of 11 teams. However, the neutral site games were a different story last season, as they finished 4-2 in such events.
• They are returning the 2022 team's leaders in assists, kills and digs.  Natalie Horsley paced the squad with 993 assists, Lana Gerard led the team with 324 kills and Adriana Lopez led the defense with 407 digs.

SERIES HISTORY VS. WILMINGTON

• Millersville and Wilmington meet for the first time since 2021. The all-time series is tied at five wins apiece. The first meeting between the two schools occurred in 2008, when Wilmington beat Millersville 3-2 in Pucillo Gymnasium. They would meet again later that season, with the Marauders claiming that clash by the same score. It is the only time they have played twice in the same season. 
• THE LAST MEETING (Wilmington 3, Millersville 1 (Oct. 23, 2021): The Marauders faced Wilmington on the second half of a double header in Delaware. The home team emerged victorious by a final score of 3-1. After trailing 15-17 in the first set, the Marauders would take 10 of the next 13 points to secure the win in the opener. Wilmington would go on to win the next three sets and the victory. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. ROLLINS

• This will be the first-ever matchup between the Marauders and the Tars.

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Shepherd 3, Millersville 1 (Nov. 5, 2022) - The Marauders concluded their 2022 season on the road against the No. 1 team in the PSAC East, Shepherd University. Millersville was able to take the first set from Shepherd but the Rams bounced back to win three straight sets over the Marauders.
• Wilmington: Bridgeport 3, Wilmington 0  (Nov. 7, 2022) - The last game action Wilmington saw came in the 2022 CACC Women's Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals, where they lost 0-3 to Bridgeport University.  The Wildcats had leads of 10-7 and 8-5 in the first and second set, respectively, but Bridgeport was able to come back and win both games. The final game was tied at 19 all before Bridgeport went on another run and closed the match out.
• Rollins: Rollins vs. Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Sept. 1, 2023) - The Tars' first match of the season will be against Indiana University of Pennsylvania and immediately follow the Millersville & Wilmington bout in the Marauder Clash. The Tars are hoping to break a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season.