Fisher Opens Empire 8 Conference Schedule With Two Victories
HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College women's volleyball started its Empire 8 Conference schedule with two victories on Saturday, versus Hartwick College and Houghton College. In the first match of the afternoon, the Cardinals defeated the Hawks in four sets 25-13, 17-25, 25-12, 25-13, followed by a straight set victory over the Highlanders 25-11, 25-23, 27-25.
With the victories, the Cardinals improve to 8-7 overall and 2-0 in Empire 8 Conference action, while the Hawks fall to 6-7 overall and the Highlanders fall to 3-10.
The Fisher offense jumped out to a hot start in the first set of the match, tallying 12 kills with only three errors and a .273 team hitting percentage. The Cardinals ran out to a 7-0 lead, as Rebecca Hay notched two service aces and Alea Steigerwald added two kills. The offense continued to shine, as a six-point Izzy Smith serving run, finished off the first set for Fisher.
In the second set it was Hartwick able to gain the momentum from a number of scoring runs. The Hawks finished the second set with six straight points, to tie the match up at one set apiece.
Fisher found its stride again in the third set, as they opened up an 18-5 advantage. Smith was once again aggressive from the service line, serving-up three service aces in the third set. The Cardinals continued to hold the momentum as a Julia Halsey kill, capped off a dominant third set.
The Cardinals did not look back in the fourth set, opening another commanding 20-10 lead late in the set. A six-point Steigerwald serving run midway through the set, as well as a .355 hitting percentage throughout, helped seal the victory for Fisher.
Steigerwald and Halsey led the Cardinal offense with 13 kills apiece, while Smith added 10. Hay notched a game-high 38 assists and Elise Kreuz added a game-high 19 digs.
In the second conference match of the day, Fisher would defeat the Highlanders in straight sets, for the team's fourth consecutive victory. Fisher's offense continued to dominate, totaling a hitting percentage of .252 throughout the three sets.
Once again, the Cardinals used two six-point runs to their advantage, finishing the first set with 16 kills and only 3 errors. Smith was the serving-hero for Fisher, as she rattled off 10 consecutive points to finish off the first set for the Cardinals.
Fisher was able to hold the momentum for the first half of the second set, taking an 18-11 lead when Houghton called a timeout. The Highlanders fought back, with two four-point runs to tie the game up at 20-20. As both teams would then trade points back and forth, Steigerwald finished off the set with two back-to back kills.
Much like the end of the second set, both teams would battle back and forth for the majority of the third set, as the scoreboard read 15-13 in favor of Fisher. Both teams would then follow up with consecutive four-point runs, bringing the game to 23-21. After a Smith kill to earn match-point, Houghton did not give up and scored four-straight points to take a 25-24 lead. However, Erica Pawlewicz led the Fisher charge with two kills, as the Cardinals wrapped up the third set and the match with three-straight points.
Steigerwald one again led the Cardinal offense with 16 kills, while Pawlewicz added a season-high 11 kills. Hay finished the three set match with another game-high 41 assists and Smith pitched in four service aces.
The Cardinals are back in action on Wednesday, when they welcome East Avenue rival Nazareth College to Bobby Wanzer Court for an Empire 8 Conference matchup at 7 p.m.