UTICA, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team dropped a five-set loss at SUNY Poly on Friday evening in Empire 8 action.
The Saxons (7-14, 1-2 Empire 8) won the first set, 25-17 but loss the next two sets to the Wildcats (3-16, 2-2 Empire 8), 24-26 and 22-25. In a must-win fourth set, the Saxons came from behind to win, 25-23 but fell in the fifth-set decider, 11-15.
Abigail Omelan (Tomball, TX/Tomball Memorial) had a match-high in scoring to lead the Saxons, recording a total of 18.5 points with 15 kills, three aces and one block assist. She completed a double-double by tacking on 10 digs while also chipping in three set assists.
Carleigh Santavy (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Northern) tied for the second-highest scoring effort in the match with Poly's leader. The two each scored 16.5 points. Santavy scored hers from 14 kills, two aces and one block assist while also recording a double-double with 13 digs.
Omelan and Santavy were joined by three more teammates with double-digit digs.
Madalynn McGowan (Corona, CA/Norco) had a match-high 19 digs and was followed by
Gillian Dickerson (Frisco, TX/Wakeland) with 17 digs and
Jenesys Del Mar Moctezuma-Gonzalez (Bayamón, Puerto Rico/North Cobb) with 13. Dickerson also had a double-double with a match-high 37 set assists.
The only time in the first set that the Saxons did not have the lead was when Poly was up, 4-2 to begin. AU responded with a 6-1 run to go up, 8-5. The run was highlighted by a Santavy ace and kills from
Julia Abbott (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton), Omelan and
Whitney Kilton (Pearl City, HI/Pearl City). They then upped their lead to eight points with a 7-2 scoring spree, featuring key points from two Santavy kills, a McGowan ace, Omelan kill and a kill from
Cara Bratthauar (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg Area).
In the second set, besides the opening point from an ace by Dickerson, the Wildcats held the advantage until the Saxons went up, 15-14 with a kill by the first-year setter. Both teams battled back-and-forth until AU was leading, 17-16 after a bad set from the hosts. SUNY Poly scored six, unanswered points to go up, 22-17. AU responded with a 6-1 run that had kills from Kilton, Santavy, Omelan (two kills) and a solo block from Bratthauar, tying the set up, 23-23. Each team scored another point to make it 24-24, but it was Poly that guaranteed a match that required extra sets after two Saxon attack errors.
The Saxons had a 12-6 lead to open the third set, but the Wildcats went on a 12-1 run to take an 18-13 lead. Alfred University chipped away at the Poly lead until it was tied, 21-21 with the final five points being scored in a row after a kill from Dickerson, two Wildcat errors and kills from Omelan and Santavy. Poly took the match lead, 2-1 with a 4-1 scoring run to end the set.
The hosts held a lead for most of the fourth set until the Saxons went on a spree, facing a 17-14 deficit, scoring five of the next six points to take a 19-18 lead. Dickerson and Omelan each scored a kill in the run while Moctezuma-Gonzalez recorded an ace for the 19
th point. AU went up, 22-20 after each team committed errors.
SUNY Poly went up, 23-22 with a kill and two Saxon attack errors. They followed with their own service error to move AU up to a 23-23 tie. Dickerson recorded back-to-back aces to force a fifth set showdown.
Alfred University started the set with a 3-1 lead just before SUNY Poly tied it up, 3-3. The hosts took a 7-4 lead with two blocks and an ace as the highlight. Back-to-back kills from Abbott and a Wildcat attack error tied the fifth set, 7-7. Poly took a 12-8 lead with a 5-1 run which would go down as the deciding factor as the set and match ended with the 15-11 final set score.
The Saxons will remain in Utica, NY as they next face Utica University on Saturday, October 10 at 1:00pm in Empire 8 action.
-- Swords Forward Saxons --
