Lehigh University Athletics
Saturday, November 15
Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall
4 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
American
Lehigh volleyball seniors reflect on careers in advance of Senior Day Saturday vs. American
11/14/2014 9:02:00 AM | Volleyball
Watch Live | Live Stats
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh volleyball team wraps up the regular season Saturday at 4 p.m. against first-place American inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The program's two seniors, Kaylynn Genemaras and Jade Van Streepen, will be honored prior to the match on Senior Day. Free video will be available on the Patriot League Network.
No. 1 American (23-5, 14-0 PL) and No. 2 Lehigh (20-9, 13-2 PL) have already secured spots in the Patriot League Tournament. The final two spots will be decided by this weekend's league results. The Mountain Hawks look to capture their ninth straight win and add to their record-setting number of Patriot League victories this season. Lehigh secured its 20th victory of the season with a straight-set win at Bucknell last Saturday and the Mountain Hawks have now recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history.
Van Streepen leads Lehigh with 259 kills, while junior Stephanie Slater has put together an impressive season with 249 kills and a .285 hitting percentage. Junior Amy Matula leads the squad with 972 assists, while sophomore libero Mariah Brantley has registered a Lehigh single-season record of 533 digs. She averages a league-leading 5.33 digs per set, which also ranks 15th nationally. Sophomore Taylor Carroll has stuffed a team-best 59 blocks. The Mountain Hawks have hit .218 as a team and limited their
opponents to just .154.
The Eagles will head to Colgate Friday before traveling to Bethlehem Saturday with their perfect league record on the line. American has only dropped four sets in all of Patriot League play and holds a perfect 9-0 record in away matches. The Eagles enter this weekend's action coming off a pair of straight-set wins over Holy Cross and Army last weekend.
Allison Cappellino leads American offensively with 290 kills, while Sarah Katz follows with 258 spikes and a .277 hitting percentage. Monika Smidova has tallied a team-best 910 assists, while Cappellino leads the team with 319 digs. Kelly McCaddin has stuffed a squad-high 107 total blocks to go along with a .393 hitting percentage.
The Eagles captured a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-11) victory over Lehigh in the first meeting of the season in Washington, D.C. Slater led Lehigh with ten kills and a .273 hitting percentage while Katz and Erin Swartz each tallied ten spikes a piece for American. The Eagles hit .426 as a team compared to Lehigh's .103 percentage. American leads the all-time series 28-4.
Although it may be small, the Lehigh Volleyball senior class of two has certainly made its mark on the program. Genemaras and Van Streepen have been instrumental in the recent success of the Mountain Hawks and have helped lead the team to three straight Patriot League Tournaments. Their on-court play is strong, but more importantly, they're leaders off it, serving as role models for the younger players to follow.
Lehighsports.com caught up with the two seniors prior to Saturday's match.
#10 Kaylynn Genemaras
A key contributor since she first stepped foot on campus, Genemaras as tallied over 500 kills during her time at Lehigh. The Metairie, La. Native has played in 87 matches throughout her career in the brown and white and has proven to be one of the most versatile members of the squad and vital to Lehigh Volleyball's success. A two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection, Genemaras has also excelled off the court in her bioengineering major.
What's your favorite Lehigh volleyball memory up until this point?
KG: My favorite volleyball memory was beating American at American my sophomore year. It was the first time that Lehigh volleyball has ever beat American at their house, so it was pretty exciting to make history! Plus, that was easily the best game of my life.
Describe the relationship with your fellow senior.
KG: I really lucked out with the relationship that I have with my fellow senior--she's my best friend! I was truly blessed to have her as my teammate and even more blessed to have her as a friend. I couldn't imagine my Lehigh experience without her by my side every step of the way.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
KG: I'm so excited for Senior Day. I've been waiting for this day for a long time!! It's a bitter sweet feeling to reach the end of my collegiate career, but I'm definitely ready for retirement.
What will you miss most about Lehigh volleyball?
KG: One thing I'm going to miss about Lehigh volleyball is running 300s. It's a shame that's coming to an end.
What are your postgraduate plans?
KG: My postgraduate plans are to go to graduate school to get my PhD in Biomedical Engineering. After that, I would like to work in an industry job related to biomechanics or biomedical device fabrication. The plan is to eventually save the world, but that may take a few years.
#9 Jade Van Streepen
A true embodiment of a student-athlete, Van Streepen's presence has been felt on and off the court throughout her career at Lehigh. A three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member, Van Streepen earned Academic All-League distinction and the team's Scholar-Athlete award following the 2013 season. The Austin, Texas native holds an outstanding 3.88 GPA in her environmental engineering major. A 2013 second team All-Patriot league performer, Van Streepen has been a key player on the court as well, leading the team in kills in each of the last two seasons. She's tallied 828 kills during her time at Lehigh and currently sits in 13th place on Lehigh's all-time career kills list.
What's your favorite Lehigh volleyball memory up until this point?
JV: My favorite memory is beating Army on Senior Day last year. I was really close with the seniors last year and beating Army on their Senior Day was the best feeling, especially since that was the first time we had beat Army in a very long time.
Describe the relationship with your fellow senior.
JV: Kaylynn is hands down my best friend. She is kind and understanding and always knows exactly what to say to make me laugh or cheer me up. She knows me better than anyone else and I know she always has my back. I am so lucky that we both decided to play volleyball at Lehigh because I honestly do not know what I would do without her. We have lived together for three years and haven't gotten sick of each other so I know we are going to be friends for a VERY long time. I am filled with joy looking back on all the experiences we have shared thus far and I am so excited for all the amazing experiences we are going to have together in the future.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JV: I have a bittersweet feeling about my career coming to a close. I am ready to see what else is out there for me and explore other opportunities, but I know I will miss volleyball tremendously when it's over. I have been an athlete my entire life and that has become a huge part of my identity, so I am sad that I will no longer have that, but excited to see what will take its place in my life.
What will you miss most about Lehigh volleyball?
JV: I think the thing I will miss the most once our season is over is the athletic community at Lehigh. Through volleyball and the athletics community, I have met so many amazing people and have had the opportunity to be involved in organizations that have changed me for the better. Being a part of such an incredible group of people will definitely be the thing I miss most.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JV: I plan on staying at Lehigh next year to get my master's degree in Energy Systems Engineering. After that, I want to go home to Texas and find a job, hopefully in the energy or water industry.
Following Saturday's game, the Mountain Hawks will begin preparations for the Patriot League Tournament that is set to take place Nov. 22-23.
Like Lehigh volleyball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and team content.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh volleyball team wraps up the regular season Saturday at 4 p.m. against first-place American inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The program's two seniors, Kaylynn Genemaras and Jade Van Streepen, will be honored prior to the match on Senior Day. Free video will be available on the Patriot League Network.
No. 1 American (23-5, 14-0 PL) and No. 2 Lehigh (20-9, 13-2 PL) have already secured spots in the Patriot League Tournament. The final two spots will be decided by this weekend's league results. The Mountain Hawks look to capture their ninth straight win and add to their record-setting number of Patriot League victories this season. Lehigh secured its 20th victory of the season with a straight-set win at Bucknell last Saturday and the Mountain Hawks have now recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history.
Van Streepen leads Lehigh with 259 kills, while junior Stephanie Slater has put together an impressive season with 249 kills and a .285 hitting percentage. Junior Amy Matula leads the squad with 972 assists, while sophomore libero Mariah Brantley has registered a Lehigh single-season record of 533 digs. She averages a league-leading 5.33 digs per set, which also ranks 15th nationally. Sophomore Taylor Carroll has stuffed a team-best 59 blocks. The Mountain Hawks have hit .218 as a team and limited their
opponents to just .154.
The Eagles will head to Colgate Friday before traveling to Bethlehem Saturday with their perfect league record on the line. American has only dropped four sets in all of Patriot League play and holds a perfect 9-0 record in away matches. The Eagles enter this weekend's action coming off a pair of straight-set wins over Holy Cross and Army last weekend.
Allison Cappellino leads American offensively with 290 kills, while Sarah Katz follows with 258 spikes and a .277 hitting percentage. Monika Smidova has tallied a team-best 910 assists, while Cappellino leads the team with 319 digs. Kelly McCaddin has stuffed a squad-high 107 total blocks to go along with a .393 hitting percentage.
The Eagles captured a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-11) victory over Lehigh in the first meeting of the season in Washington, D.C. Slater led Lehigh with ten kills and a .273 hitting percentage while Katz and Erin Swartz each tallied ten spikes a piece for American. The Eagles hit .426 as a team compared to Lehigh's .103 percentage. American leads the all-time series 28-4.
Although it may be small, the Lehigh Volleyball senior class of two has certainly made its mark on the program. Genemaras and Van Streepen have been instrumental in the recent success of the Mountain Hawks and have helped lead the team to three straight Patriot League Tournaments. Their on-court play is strong, but more importantly, they're leaders off it, serving as role models for the younger players to follow.
Lehighsports.com caught up with the two seniors prior to Saturday's match.
#10 Kaylynn Genemaras
A key contributor since she first stepped foot on campus, Genemaras as tallied over 500 kills during her time at Lehigh. The Metairie, La. Native has played in 87 matches throughout her career in the brown and white and has proven to be one of the most versatile members of the squad and vital to Lehigh Volleyball's success. A two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection, Genemaras has also excelled off the court in her bioengineering major.
What's your favorite Lehigh volleyball memory up until this point?
KG: My favorite volleyball memory was beating American at American my sophomore year. It was the first time that Lehigh volleyball has ever beat American at their house, so it was pretty exciting to make history! Plus, that was easily the best game of my life.
Describe the relationship with your fellow senior.
KG: I really lucked out with the relationship that I have with my fellow senior--she's my best friend! I was truly blessed to have her as my teammate and even more blessed to have her as a friend. I couldn't imagine my Lehigh experience without her by my side every step of the way.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
KG: I'm so excited for Senior Day. I've been waiting for this day for a long time!! It's a bitter sweet feeling to reach the end of my collegiate career, but I'm definitely ready for retirement.
What will you miss most about Lehigh volleyball?
KG: One thing I'm going to miss about Lehigh volleyball is running 300s. It's a shame that's coming to an end.
What are your postgraduate plans?
KG: My postgraduate plans are to go to graduate school to get my PhD in Biomedical Engineering. After that, I would like to work in an industry job related to biomechanics or biomedical device fabrication. The plan is to eventually save the world, but that may take a few years.
#9 Jade Van Streepen
A true embodiment of a student-athlete, Van Streepen's presence has been felt on and off the court throughout her career at Lehigh. A three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member, Van Streepen earned Academic All-League distinction and the team's Scholar-Athlete award following the 2013 season. The Austin, Texas native holds an outstanding 3.88 GPA in her environmental engineering major. A 2013 second team All-Patriot league performer, Van Streepen has been a key player on the court as well, leading the team in kills in each of the last two seasons. She's tallied 828 kills during her time at Lehigh and currently sits in 13th place on Lehigh's all-time career kills list.
What's your favorite Lehigh volleyball memory up until this point?
JV: My favorite memory is beating Army on Senior Day last year. I was really close with the seniors last year and beating Army on their Senior Day was the best feeling, especially since that was the first time we had beat Army in a very long time.
Describe the relationship with your fellow senior.
JV: Kaylynn is hands down my best friend. She is kind and understanding and always knows exactly what to say to make me laugh or cheer me up. She knows me better than anyone else and I know she always has my back. I am so lucky that we both decided to play volleyball at Lehigh because I honestly do not know what I would do without her. We have lived together for three years and haven't gotten sick of each other so I know we are going to be friends for a VERY long time. I am filled with joy looking back on all the experiences we have shared thus far and I am so excited for all the amazing experiences we are going to have together in the future.
Describe the feeling going into Senior Day. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind as you're nearing the end of your collegiate career?
JV: I have a bittersweet feeling about my career coming to a close. I am ready to see what else is out there for me and explore other opportunities, but I know I will miss volleyball tremendously when it's over. I have been an athlete my entire life and that has become a huge part of my identity, so I am sad that I will no longer have that, but excited to see what will take its place in my life.
What will you miss most about Lehigh volleyball?
JV: I think the thing I will miss the most once our season is over is the athletic community at Lehigh. Through volleyball and the athletics community, I have met so many amazing people and have had the opportunity to be involved in organizations that have changed me for the better. Being a part of such an incredible group of people will definitely be the thing I miss most.
What are your postgraduate plans?
JV: I plan on staying at Lehigh next year to get my master's degree in Energy Systems Engineering. After that, I want to go home to Texas and find a job, hopefully in the energy or water industry.
Following Saturday's game, the Mountain Hawks will begin preparations for the Patriot League Tournament that is set to take place Nov. 22-23.
Like Lehigh volleyball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and team content.
Players Mentioned
Libero
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MB
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S
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RS
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OH
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