The second-seeded William Smith volleyball team will travel to Ithaca, New York, to take on third-seeded Clarkson in Liberty League semifinal match Friday, Nov. 15. First-serve between the Herons and the Golden Knights is set for 4 p.m. in Ben Light Gymnasium.

The winner will advance to take on the winner of the second semifinal match between top-seeded Ithaca and fifth-seeded RIT. Saturday's championship match is set for 2 p.m.

Fans who can't make it to Ben Light Gymnasium can follow all the action with live stats and video courtesy of athletics.ithaca.edu.

ABOUT THE HERONS

• William Smith enters championship weekend with a 21-5 record (7-1 Liberty League). The Herons clinched the two-seed to receive a first-round bye for the second-straight season.
• The Herons are receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll for the eighth-straight week.
• Junior Malya Sayre leads William Smith with 387 kills, averaging 3.99 kills per set. She ranks first in the Liberty League and 29th in the nation in kills per set. Sayre averages a league-leading 4.72 points per set which ranks 20th in the nation. She also ranks eighth in the conference in service aces, averaging 0.55 per set.
• Classmates Marin Montagne and Hope Von Dohlen have also been key contributors for the Herons offense, averaging 2.59 and 2.53 kills per set, respectively. Montagne ranks ninth in the conference in kills per set.
• First-year Arielle Newsome and junior Jaylynn McCarthy have been lethal out of the middle for William Smith this season. Newsome ranks second in the conference with a .313 hitting percentage and is followed by McCarthy in third, hitting .307.
• First-year setter Delainy Williams has had a standout season for the Herons and is coming off her fifth Liberty League Rookie of the Week award. Williams leads the Liberty League and ranks eighth in the country in assists per set, averaging 10.56. She has also tallied 44 service aces this season, averaging 0.45 per set.  
• Defensively, William Smith is led by first-year libero Kali Vanderhoof who ranks third in the conference in digs, averaging 4.25 per set. She is followed by Sayre with 3.46 digs per set, which ranks eighth in the Liberty League.
• Newsome has been a force at the net this season for the Herons and ranks third in the conference in blocks, averaging 0.96 per set. Von Dohlen also adds a big block for William Smith and ranks 10th in the conference with 0.68 blocks per set.
• The Herons rank among the nation's best in several statistical categories this season. William Smith is 32nd in the nation in kills per set (13.11) and 35th in assists per set (12.09).

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

• Clarkson enters the weekend 13-14 overall (5-3 Liberty League) and is the third seed in the Liberty League Tournament. The Golden Knights defeated sixth-seeded Skidmore on Tuesday 3-1 to advance to the semifinals.
• Marin Hangliter leads Clarkson with 258 kills, averaging 2.74 per set (7th in LL). She is followed by Grace Hanson with 2.64 kills per set (8th in LL).
• Ashley Currier leads the Golden Knights from the setter position with 476 assists this season. Her 5.23 assists per set ranks eighth in the conference.
• Abigail Spector leads the Liberty League in digs per set with 4.93.
• Allyson Treichel averages a team-leading 0.83 blocks per set, which ranks fifth in the conference. She is followed by Tess Sorel who ranks seventh in the conference with 0.79 blocks per set.
• Last time they met, William Smith swept Clarkson in Potsdam on Sept. 28. McCarthy led the Herons with 14 kills in the win.

ABOUT THE BOMBERS

• Ithaca enters the weekend with a 20-6 overall record (8-0 Liberty League) and is the top-seed in the Liberty League Tournament. The Bombers are ranked No. 22 in this week's AVCA poll.
• Naomi Clauhs leads Ithaca with 274 kills this season, averaging 3.34 per set (2nd in LL). She is followed by Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu with 3.06 kills per set (4th in LL).
• Wesley Slavin leads the Bombers from the setter position with 760 assists this season. Her 9.74 assists per set ranks second in the conference.
• Defensively, Ithaca is led by Ellie Benedict who averages 3.91 digs per set, sixth in the Liberty League. Ella Graper averages a team-leading 1.03 blocks per set.
• Last time they met, Ithaca defeated William Smith in a five-set thriller in Geneva on Oct. 16. Montagne led the Herons with 16 kills in the loss.

ABOUT THE TIGERS

• RIT enters the weekend with a 19-13 record (4-4 Liberty League) and is the fifth seed in the Liberty League Tournament. The Tigers advanced to the semifinal match after defeating fourth-seeded Union in a five-set thriller on Tuesday.
• Mia Gerber leads RIT with 305 kills this season, averaging 2.56 kills per set (12th in LL). She is followed by Samantha Cox with 2.37 kills per set.
• Sydney Neff leads the Tigers from the setter position and has tallied 1,077 assists this season. Her 8.69 assists per set ranks third in the conference.
• Defensively, RIT is led by Hailey Blixt, who averages 4.16 digs per set. She ranks fourth in the Liberty League in that category. Cat Vento ranks second in the conference in blocks, averaging 1.01 per set.
• Last time they met, William Smith swept RIT in Rochester on Oct. 23. Sayre led the Herons with 12 kills in the win.