Saxons Send Senior Estep off with First Win Over Houghton in 27 Years

9/26/2018 9:46:00 PM

ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University women's volleyball team snapped a 14-match lose streak with a 3-1 Empire 8 Athletic Conference win over Houghton College in the Terry S. Galanis Family Arena on Wednesday evening.
 
Wednesday's match was also the Saxons' (1-14, 1-2 Empire 8) Saxon-for-Saxon match where other Alfred University Student-Athletes show in support of the home team as well as the Saxons' Senior Night, honoring Elisabeth Estep (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) in pre-match ceremonies.
 
Alfred University defeated Houghton College 25-23, 25-19, 21-25 and 25-16 in four sets. Wednesday's match was the first time that the Saxons defeated the Highlanders since 1990 before the ICAC Playoff Tournament where the Saxons won 3-2 (3-15, 9-15, 15-11, 15-11, 15-12) and it's their first ever win over the Highlanders since both teams entered the Empire 8.
 
"Our team goal, coming into this year, was to create the struggle and to trust the process. We put together probably the second-toughest non-conference schedule in the Empire 8," Head Coach Dakota 'Dak' Pruiss said. "We just trusted the process with knowing that there is a magic number. That number is five. Five conference wins and we're in the conference tournament and another two put us into the NCAA's. We had a tough Empire 8 opening weekend with Stevens and Nazareth, but it was great to see how we defeated Houghton tonight."
 

Junior Amber Smith (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) led the Saxons with 23.0 points off of 23 kills with only one error on 42 attempts (.524 hitting average). She recorded a double-double with 10 digs and added one set assists. Sophomore Amanda Burns (Pine Bush, NY/ Pine Bush) record AU's other double-double with career-high 14 digs and a match-high and collegiate career-high of 42 set assists.
 
First-year Karina Morling (Canisteo, NY/Canisteo-Greenwood) followed Smith with 11 kills and added two block solos and one assisted block for a grand total of 13.5 points. She attacked 24 times with no errors for a .458 hitting percentage. Morling tacked on two set assists.
 
Four Saxons hit double-digit digs, led by junior Sarah Huzyk (North Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili) who had a match-high 25 digs. She broke her collegiate career-high in digs for the third time this season, coming into 2018 with 17, hitting 21against Rowan University, 22 against Misericordia University and now 25 against Houghton. Estep also had double figures in digs with 14 as she tacked on five kills with no errors on 30 attempts (.167 percentage).
 
First-year Rachael Moravansky (Mount Airy, MD/Linganore) had four aces for the Saxons.
 
"Ibby's [Estep] kind of special for me because I coached her at the youth level before either of us came to Alfred University. I knew her before I even applied to Alfred and I told myself that if I get the chance to coach her at the collegiate level, it's going to be a great time," Coach Pruiss said. "So when we're talking about a Senior Night sendoff, to beat Houghton in such a great match, I'm so proud that we could do that for her because she has given absolutely everything to this program and school."
 
The Saxons are now finished with their home schedule and will next take to the road to face SUNy Geneseo on Tuesday, October 2 at 7PM in a solo match.