ELIZABETHTOWN, PA – The Alfred University women's volleyball team played one match on Friday evening at Elizabethtown College against Rowan University but fell, 3-1.
 
The Saxons (0-10, 0-0 Empire 8) took the first set from the Profs, 25-22 but loss the next three, 21-25, 22-25 and 13-25. Alfred University was down 21-16 in the first set before they made a huge push with a 9-1 run to close out the set. The run was keyed by four kills from four different Saxons and an ace from sophomore Julia Fanning (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior). The Alfred University players to mark a kill in that run (in order) were sophomore Sarah Raeman (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua), first-year Samara-Jade Mok (Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany/Ramstein), first-year Rachael Moravansky (Mount Airy, MD/Linganore) and junior Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder). Fanning assisted on the last three kills while sophomore Amanda Burns (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) assisted Raeman's kill.
 
The run in the first set also featured an assisted block from Mok and Moravansky.
 
The second and third sets also saw big comebacks. The Saxons were down 18-10 in the second set before fighting back to make it 19-21 in favor of the Profs before Rowan closed out the set. In the third set, however, it was Rowan University that made a comeback run as the Saxons, at one point, held an 18-13 lead. The Profs went on a 9-2 run to hold a 22-20 advantage before claiming their second set win.
 
"We saw a tough Rowan opponent and learned how hard we need to compete to have on court success," Head Coach Dakota Pruiss said. "It was good to get a come from behind win in the first set, now we just need to string those performances together. We are a young team and better than our record so I'm still very excited for what Empire 8 play has."
 
The Saxons were led by Smith and her 17.0 points from 16 kills and one ace. Raeman posted 9.5 points from nine kills and one block assist. Burns had 10.0 points from seven kills and a team-high three aces. She also led Alfred University in assists with 19. Fanning followed with 16 assists and two aces of her own.
 
Defensively, AU was led by junior Sarah Huzyk (North Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili) with 21 digs while senior Elisabeth Estep (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) followed with 13 and Smith with 10. Huzyk's 21 digs is also a career-high for her, breaking last year's 17 against College at Wooster.
 
"Sarah [Huzyk] stabilized a lot of our defense, repeating her previous performance from this past Tuesday night's match," Coach Pruiss said. "I was also pleased to see Amanda [Burns] take on a more offensive role as we moved to her becoming a setter and a right side hitter. Her ability to score has helped balance our offense a bit for a few rotations."
 
First-year Lainey Arneson (Yorktown, VA/Tabb) led Alfred University at the net with the team's only solo block and also had one block assist.
 
The Saxons will wrap up their stay in Pennsylvania tomorrow morning with a match against the hosts at 11AM and then against Misericordia University at 1PM before they have a week off with their Empire 8 Crossover on Saturday, September 22 against Stevens Institute of Technology and Nazareth College. The 22^nd is also Homecoming Weekend for Alfred University.