Women's Volleyball | 10/11/2019 8:55:00 PM
ELMIRA, NY -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team earned its third consecutive victory on Friday evening, as the Soaring Eagles dispatched Empire 8 Conference foe Sage by a three-sets-to-one margin inside Speidel Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Soaring Eagles improved to 9-12 overall and 3-1 in conference action, while moving into a tie with Nazareth for second-place in the E8. Sage dropped to 4-18 on the season with a 1-3 record inside conference play.
The Purple and Gold's offense was humming all evening, as EC peppered the Gators with 50 kills. Savannah Terry '21 was Elmira's most efficient option at the net, as the junior tallied 11 kills while hitting at a stellar .556 clip. Lauren Smith '21 and Lydia Milligan '21 tied Terry for the team-lead with 11 kills apiece. As high-powered as EC's offense was, the Soaring Eagles were just as stingy defensively. Elmira posted 87 digs while holding Sage to a .039 attacking percentage.
The two sides had a feeling out process through the beginning of the first set, but Elmira broke things open with a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. The Soaring Eagles lead jumped to 21-13 following a service ace from Jena Gatto '20, as EC picked up a 25-17 win.
Sage answered in the second set, as the Gators floored a match-high 17 kills to steal a 25-22 win. Despite the setback, Elmira bounced back immediately in the third frame. The Purple and Gold ran away with the set behind the serving prowess of Milligan. The Pavilion, New York, native tallied three aces during a 9-0 run that sealed a 25-10 victory for the Soaring Eagles.
With a 2-1 advantage, EC kept cruising in the final set of the evening. After building an early lead, the Soaring Eagles used a 4-0 run capped by a kill from senior Sabrina Didas '21 to seal the match with a 25-8 triumph in the fourth set.
In his own words…
Head Coach
Daniel Miranda on the team picking up a conference victory on Senior Night…
"It was a great win to honor our seniors and get us one step closer to the conference tournament. Cassie [Potter] and Jena [Gatto] were defensive machines, while Sabrina [Didas] was a major offensive threat as always. We're looking forward to keeping the winning streak alive and playing tough tomorrow against Utica."
News and Notes
- Prior to tonight's match, EC honored its three seniors; Jena Gatto '20, Cassie Potter '20, and Sabrina Didas '20.
- Elmira won its seventh consecutive match against the Gators.
- The Soaring Eagles registered double-digit service aces for the eighth time this season.
- Elmira had five different players finish with double-digits in digs.
- EC broke 50 kills for the third time in 2019.
- Kassi Hastings '21 finished with a match-high 41 assists.
- Lauren Smith '21 posted her fourth double-double in kills and digs (11k-13d).
- Terry's .556 attack percentage was a season-best.
- Potter tallied a match-high 17 digs.
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles hit the road on Saturday afternoon for an Empire 8 matchup against Utica. Opening serve against the Pioneers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.