HOUGHTON, NY -- The Alfred University women's volleyball team traveled to Houghton and defeated the four-seed in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament 3-2 in a five-set thriller on Saturday afternoon.
"I'm so honored to coach this group! They played with heart, passion, and a real never-say-die spirit," Head Coach
Mike Honeycutt said. "Winning on the road against a team we hadn't beaten in five tries shows just how strong we are together. Our bench was amazing - they kept the energy high and deserve just as much credit for this win as everyone on the court!"
The Saxons (14-16, 7-4 Empire 8) have advanced in the tournament for the first time since 2023, which was also the last time they defeated the Highlanders.
After dropping the first set 12-25, AU would respond in kind with two close wins in sets two and three, 25-22 and 26-24, respectively.
Carleigh Santavy (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Northern) dominated the court with the team-high in kills (14), aces (2), blocks (4) and digs (13) for 18.5 points.
Two other Saxons hit double-digits in kills, with
Julia Abbott (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) recording 11 kills and
Abigail Omelan (Tomball, TX/Tomball Memorial) hitting 10 kills.
Gillian Dickerson (Frisco, TX/Wakeland) helped set up those kills with 39 sets.
In the consequential third set which needed an extra point to win, AU roared back from set point with four straight points to get the set and take a 2-1 advantage at the time. In the deciding fifth set, AU would pull ahead after an early 3-3 tie with five straight points and a couple of kills by Abbott assisted by
Catherina Krause (Pflugerville, TX/Hendrickson) to pull ahead.
The Saxons ended the fifth set with another string of points and one final kill by Santavy to put them through. AU heads into the final four, facing a familiar foe the last time they were in this position.
Alfred University will face top-seeded St. John Fisher University on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. back on the road in Rochester.
-- Swords Forward Saxons --
