UTICA, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team defeated Utica University in four sets on Friday evening to open a two-match, two-day trip to Utica, NY for Empire 8 action.
 
The Saxons (11-4, 3-0 Empire 8) defeated the Pioneers (5-9, 1-3 Empire 8) with set scores of 25-14, 25-15, 20-25, 25-16. "We played a great match. Pretty even contribution all the way around," Head Coach Mike Honeycutt said. "We served very tough tonight which had a huge impact on the outcome of the match. [I'm] Very happy with our team!"
 
AU had four offensive standouts in the four-set victory as three of the four posted the top scores in the match with the fourth being 0.5 points away from tying for the fourth spot between both teams. Taylor Malone (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) had more than double the points of any Utica player, posting 17.5 points from 12 kills, a match-high five aces and one block assists, while the top Pioneer had only 8.5 points. Carleigh Santavy (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Northern) added 10 points, all from kills. Cara Bratthauar (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg Area) added 9.0 points from seven kills, one service ace and two block assists. Delaney Sims (Bogart, GA/George Walton Academy) added 8.0 points from six kills and two aces. Sims also had a match-high 20 set assists while Jessica Lucille Ramirez (Riverside, CA/Hillcrest) followed with 16 set assists.
 
Jamie Chun (Hilo, HI/Hilo) and Anjoeline Armstrong (Simi Valley, CA/Bishop Alemany) kept the back row free of Utica attacks from finding the court as they combined for 36 digs, Chun with 21 and Armstrong with 15.
 
Jade Wolfer (Nunda, NY/Keshequa) followed Malone's five aces with three of her own. Sims and Chun each had two aces as all four Saxons had more aces than the Pioneers players. Bratthauar and Ramirez each added one ace. Abigail Omelan (Tomball, TX/Tomball Memorial) joined Bratthauar and Malone in blocks with an assisted stop of her own, adding to her four kills for 4.5 total points.
 
The Saxons saw early leads in both the first and second sets that Utica couldn't climb back from. The third set was different as neither team had more than a three-point lead (except for a 6-2 Utica lead to start the set) until a 6-2 Pioneer run in the middle of the set had them with a 15-12 lead. AU fought back to tie the match at 17-17 with a 5-2 scoring run, highlighted by a kill from Malone off a pass from Jordan Gilbert (Barrington, NH/Coe-Brown Northwood Academy) and a kill from Bratthauar off a set from Ramirez. Utica distanced itself with a 6-1 run that had only one kill and one ace from Utica's efforts while the Saxons posted a service error and three attack errors as the hosts took a 23-18 lead. A kill from Omelan and an attack error by Utica brought the score back within reach, 23-20 before a service error and bad set from AU gave Utica its first set win of the night.
 
Alfred University responded with multiple scoring sprees in the fourth set, posting the second largest lead of the night with a 23-14 deficit, late in the set with the match-clinching point in sight. AU held a 16-14 lead in the middle of the fourth set before the Saxons scored seven, unanswered points to take a 23-14 lead, featuring two kills from Santavy, a kill from Malone off a block error, two aces from Chun and a pair of attacking errors from the Pioneers. Malone ended the match with a blistered kill right down the line off a pass from Ramirez.
 
The Saxons will next remain in Utica, NY to face off against new Empire 8 member, SUNY Poly on Saturday, October 12 at 1:00pm.