ITHACA, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team dropped two, three-set losses in a non-conference tri-match on Saturday afternoon to Fredonia and Ithaca College.
 
The Saxons (3-14, 1-2 Empire 8) had three close sets against Fredonia in the early match. The fell, however, 23-25, 19-25, 20-25. The later match ended with set scores of 9-25, 9-25, 13-25.
 
In the first match, at the end of the first set, the Saxons were down 19-16 before they went on a 5-2 run to tie the match at 21-21 led by a kill from senior Heather D'Andrea (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) and a service ace from senior Jacquelynn Hicks (Greensville, NY/Greensville). Senior Aubrey Totsline (Fairport, NY/Fairport) assisted on the D'Andrea kill.
 
Fredonia ended the set with four kills, two from Kristen Stanek while Alfred University earned kills from Totsline and sophomore Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder). Junior Elisabeth Estep (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) assisted on both kills to end the 23-25 set.
 
In the final set, the Saxons held a 15-12 advantage after a kill from Smith (Totsline assist) before Fredonia went on a tear of eight points, giving them a 20-15 lead. The two teams exchanged scores with both scoring five points each to end the match.
 
Totsline led the match in assists with 29 while Estep chipped in her two for a team-total of 31. The Blue Devils combined for 29 set assists from four different players. Smith led both teams in scoring with 13.5 points from 12 kills, one ace and one block assist. Her kills were also a match-high. First-year Alex Taylor (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Los Osos) led the Saxons in digs with 13 while D'Andrea supplemented with 11 and Estep deposited nine.
 
Both Hicks and Totsline had two block assists each while first-year Sarah Raeman (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) had the lone solo block for the Saxons as she added three kills.
 
In the later match against the host Bombers of Ithaca College, Smith led the Saxons with 6.0 points from five kills and one ace. Totsline had 10 assists. D'Andrea had eight digs. Raeman had the highest hit percentage, scoring two kills on four attempts with one error (.250).
 
The Saxons will next host the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College on Tuesday, October 3 at 7 pm for a solo, Empire 8 Athletic Conference match in the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.