HOUGHTON, N.Y. — Houghton will open the 2026 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament at home Saturday, hosting No. 5 seed Alfred University at 1 p.m. in the Nielsen Center.
The fourth-seeded Highlanders finished the regular season 12-15 overall and 7-4 in Empire 8 play, earning the right to host the quarterfinal match. Alfred also finished 7-4 in conference play and enters the tournament with a 13-16 overall record.
The season presented a unique challenge for Houghton, which was unable to practice or play in the Nielsen Center for most of the fall following a fire at the facility in July. The Highlanders held practices and hosted matches at several area schools before returning to the Nielsen Center for their regular-season finale against SUNY Brockport on Oct. 31.
"This season presented quite the challenge for this team, not being able to practice or play in our home gym up until the last regular-season match," said Head Coach Danielle Heffernan. "I am proud of the way this team has handled adversity and put in the work to earn the right to host our quarterfinal match. They did not allow the situation to dictate our season, but rather dedicated themselves to working hard toward our goal of competing for an E8 championship. We are excited to still be competing in November."
Highlander Attack
Houghton enters the postseason with one of the Empire 8's most productive offenses, ranking second in the conference with 11.10 kills per set and 1,088 total kills.
Alexa Belanger leads the Highlanders with 328 kills, averaging 3.45 per set, and has added 254 digs and 375 points. Morgan Brace directs the offense with 800 assists, averaging 8.16 per set. Petra Thomas has contributed 172 kills while hitting .296, along with 62 blocks. Paige Brennan leads Houghton with 284 digs, while Praylan Perkins has recorded 240 digs and a team-high 48 service aces.
Quarterfinal Matchup
The Highlanders defeated Alfred in three sets when the teams met Oct. 13 in Alfred. The Saxons, however, bring a strong serving game into the postseason. Alfred leads the Empire 8 with 295 service aces and averages 3.01 aces per set.
Carleigh Santavy leads the Saxons with 257 kills and 326 points, while Abigail Omelan has added 200 kills and a team-best 54 service aces. Gillian Dickerson leads Alfred with 320 assists, and Madalynn McGowan has recorded 306 digs.
Road to the Championship
The eight-team tournament begins Saturday, Nov. 7, with all matches hosted by the higher seed. The winner of Houghton-Alfred will advance to the semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 11, where it will face the winner of the quarterfinal between top-seeded St. John Fisher and No. 8 SUNY Brockport.
St. John Fisher enters the tournament as the defending two-time champion and is seeking its third consecutive Empire 8 title. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at the highest remaining seed. The conference champion will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship, scheduled for Nov. 19-21.
Tournament website.
