HOUGHTON, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team claimed a three-set win on the road at Houghton University on Friday evening in Empire 8 action.
 
The Saxons (7-9, 3-2 Empire 8) are now on a four-game win streak with all four of them being three-set victories and three of them being in conference. They defeated, in order, Hartwick College, Russell Sage College, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and now Houghton University. The last time the Saxons defeated the Highlanders (4-11, 0-3 Empire 8) in three sets, was in the faux 2021 season, held during the spring semester due to COVID-19. Friday's win was the first time in school history that the Saxons defeated them in three sets, in a true regular season and since both schools were part of the Empire 8.
 
"We are starting to put some things together at the right time," Head Coach Mike Honeycutt said. "It's tough to beat any conference opponent at their home and we were fortunate to come out on top. Our seniors continue to be the glue keeping us together. Fi started it off with a big block, and the team fed off that energy! Three conference wins in a row puts us in a good position to make the conference playoffs."
 
The Saxons defeated Houghton, 25-13, 25-20 and 25-20.
 
Alfred University was led by Taylor Malone (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) who, once again, had the match-high in scoring, totaling 18.5 points from 17 kills, a service ace and a block assist. She tacked on seven digs. Cara Bratthauar (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg Area) followed with 8.0 points from seven kills and two block assists. Delaney Sims (Bogart, GA/George Walton Academy) had a match-high 29 set assists while adding in 7.5 points from five kills, two aces and one block assist. Anjoeline Armstrong (Simi Valley, CA/Bishop Alemany) tied for a match-high in digs with 14 while adding in five set assists.
 
AU got off to a fantastic start in the first set with a 6-0 lead, highlighted by two opening Malone kills and a Bratthauar kill. Houghton battled back to within two, 11-9 before a 5-1 run put AU back in a comfortable lead, 16-10. The Highlanders got two more points to make it a 16-12 lead for the Saxons. AU scored the next eight points before an attacking error gave Houghton their final point of the set. Bratthauar closed out the set with a kill for the 25^th point.
 
The second set was an exchange of blows in the beginning as both teams were tied, 9-9 before the Saxons put together a 9-1 run for an 18-10 lead. HU battled back, being down, 22-20 before a kill from Fiona McNeil (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt), a Houghton attack error and a kill from Malone closed out the set for the 2-0 match score.
 
The third set was close until the Saxons scored four in a row near the end for a 19-14 lead. Both teams exchanged points until a kill by Bratthauar closed out the set and the match.
 
The Saxons will next continue Empire 8 action with a trip to Keuka College on Friday, October 20 for a 6pm match.