Team Effort Lifts Elmira Past Fisher into Empire 8 Volleyball Championship
Elmira, NY – The Elmira College Women’s Volleyball won in a five-set thriller as it got past a gritty St. John Fisher squad 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 25-13, 20-25, 15-12) Saturday afternoon in Elmira. With the win the Soaring Eagles advance to the Empire 8 Championship game and improve to 25-7 overall, while the loss drops the Cardinals to 20-12.
EC got off to a great start in the first set, winning 25-18. Down 19-21 in the second Elmira drew even after back-to-back blocks at net. A huge kill from Brittany Raykoske ’12 (Johnstown, NY -- Gloversville) tied it at 24 all, but it wasn’t enough as two kills in a row for St. John Fisher gave them the second set 26-24.
In a decisive third set Elmira got out to a 16-8 lead and cruised to a 25-13 win. St. John Fisher once again responded in the fourth set, getting out to a 20-12 lead. The Cardinals held on to even the match at 2-2, winning 25-20.
At the midway point of the fifth set Elmira led 8-6. After trading points back and forth the score was tied at 11 all. Raykoske finished a kill off a Cardinal defender to make it 12-11, creating momentum for EC. Fisher responded with a kill of its own to make it 12 all. Raykoske, the lone senior on the squad and Empire 8 Player of the Year Sasha Zavadska ’13 (Bratislava, SVK -- The British School) came up with back-to-back kills to come within match point at 14-12. In fitting fashion Raykoske served out the match as Molly Short ’13 (Sterling, CO -- Sterling) came up with winning block.
Raykoske and Zavadska finished with 18 and 17 kills, respectively. Zavadska also recorded 13 digs, while Taryn Rumsey ’14 (Mansfield, PA -- Mansfield) tallied 12 in the kills column. Catherine Miller ’14 (Pittsburg, PA -- Penn Hills) notched a team-high 17 digs, while Short dished out a remarkable 47 assists.
Elmira will host the Empire 8 Championship game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. against the winner of the Stevens-Nazareth match. The winner of tomorrow’s match will advance to the NCAA Tournament.