By Colton Pankiewicz, Sports Editor
Canisius returned home for the first time this season, hosting Kent State and Purdue Fort Wayne in the three-team event.
After watching Kent State beat Purdue Fort Wayne in the first action of the tournament, the Griffs went toe-to-toe with the MAAC opponent. After claiming the first set of the match, the Golden Flashes took the next two sets. Against the ropes, Canisius fought back, claiming the fourth set thanks to the efforts of outside hitters Kara Zaucha and Cameron Grange. The two finished with double-doubles, but it failed to translate to the win column as Kent State took the fifth set 15–6.
Returning to action on Saturday for the second day of the invitational, the Griffs went head to head against Purdue Fort Wayne. Canisius once again stretched out the match to five sets, this time against a respected Mastodons team. For the second time in two days, the hosts fell in the extra set, despite promising play from the group's first year players. Freshman Lauren Hubert recorded a career-high 21 kills, while fellow newcomer Cameron Grange notched a double-double, posting 14 kills to go along with her 12 digs. Sophomore Ella Bourque also produced in what was only her second match of the season. The 2022 MAAC Setter of the Year finished her outing with 49 assists, while Canisius libero Jillian Hanna led the team with 22 digs.
Sitting at 2–6 on the season, the Griffs head to Fairfield for their first test against a MAAC opponent. The 1 p.m. matchup gives Canisius the opportunity to start conference play with a win before heading to Quinnipiac on Sunday.