UTICA, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team won their fourth consecutive Empire 8 matchup following a three-set victory over SUNY Poly on Saturday afternoon.

The Saxons (12-4, 4-0 Empire 8) defeated the Wildcats (1-13, 0-5 Empire 8) with set scores of 25-15, 25-12 and 25-20. "We played as a unit, which showed our hard work paying off," Assistant Coach Darian Ortiz said. "We served tough and controlled our side of the court very well. We are excited to keep this momentum going."

Alfred University controlled the pace throughout the opening set, leading by as many as eight points before winning four of the final five points. Carleigh Santavy (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Northern) recorded four kills in the first set for AU, finishing the match with a season-high nine kills.

The Saxons carried their momentum into the second set, as five kills from Taylor Malone (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) and a pair of service aces from Jessica Lucille Ramirez (Riverside, CA/Hillcrest) had Alfred University leading the set by a double-digit margin. Malone finished the match with eight kills and seven digs, while Ramirez tallied seven set assists. The Saxons scored five of the final seven points in the second set, carrying a dominant 2-0 advantage entering the third set.

An early point for SUNY Poly was quickly answered by six consecutive points from AU. Delaney Sims (Bogart, GA/George Walton Academy) was one of multiple Saxons to record a kill in the final set, additionally dishing four set assists. Sims finished the afternoon with a game-high 22 set assists, bringing her total to 1,067 career set assists with the Alfred University Women's Volleyball program.

Alfred University will next return home to host Houghton University on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.