ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team fell in three sets to visiting SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday evening in the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.
 
The Saxons (3-12, 1-2 Empire 8) fell with set scores of 14-25, 16-25, 21-25. They started the third set off with an 11-7 run before the play became back-and-forth with neither team putting together a straight run of more than four points before the Knights scored four in a row to put them up 22-20. Senior Maddison VanEtten (Harpursville, NY/Hapursville) ended that run with a kill off of an Aubrey Totsline (Fairport, NY/Fairport) assist, making it 22-21 in favor of the guests. Geneseo rounded the evening with two kills and an AU attack error.
 
"We saw what happens when we control out the controllable," head coach Dakota Pruiss said. "The difference between the first two sets and set three was that in set three we served at a much higher percentage and we passed a better game on serve receive."
 
Sophomore Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) led the match with 14.5 points off of 11 kills, two aces, one solo block and one assisted block. She also added a team-high seven digs. VanEtten followed with 6.5 points from six kills and one block assist.
 
Senior Heather D'Andrea (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) had six digs while both junior Elisabeth Estep (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and first-year Alex Taylor (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Los Osos) each had five. Totsline led both the Saxons and Knights in set assists with 24 and tied Smith with two aces. "Amber [Smith] played a really good game and was utilizing shots we have been asking her to make. Alex [Taylor] found herself in a new role tonight as libero in set three and also did a solid job," Pruiss said.
 
The Saxons will next head to Ithaca College for a tri-match on Saturday, September 30. The first match is against Fredonia at 1:30 pm and then against the host Bombers at 4 pm.