Women's Volleyball | 9/27/2019 8:47:00 PM
TROY, NY – Junior Jessica Barry handed out a career-high 65 assists and senior Melissa Newcomb recorded 20 kills as the Nazareth College women's volleyball team came back to post a 3-2 victory over Sage Friday night in the first Empire 8 match of the year.
Nazareth (7-5 overall, 1-0 E8) recorded a pair of close wins in the first two sets with wins of 25-23 and 28-26 to open up a 2-0 lead. Sage (3-13, 0-1) rebounded to win the third set 25-26 and forced the tiebreaker with a 25-19 win in the fourth set.
The Golden Flyers opened up a lead of 8-4 as the teams traded sides but Sage rallied back to tie the score late in the set. The teams traded points until Newcomb recorded two of her career-best kills total to close out the victory.
Only twice in school history has a setter recorded more than 65 assists with the most recent coming against Houghton in 2014 as Madi Wickens '17 handed out 68 as a sophomore. The school record for assists in a match was 70 set by Ashley Mokan '04 against Cortland in a five-set loss in the NCAA Tournament. Mokan had 65 against Rochester in 2003 and Elyse Monje '08 had 65 twice – once against Ithaca in 2004 and again against Allegheny in 2005.
Barry's 65 assists are currently a NCAA Division III single-game high in 2019.
Senior Danielle Synowski and Delaney Martin had double-doubles with 16 and 14 kills respectively and dig totals of 11 and 15. Barry added 10 digs as well for Nazareth.
Graduate player Miranda Nethaway added 16.5 points for the Gators, while sophomore Emma Parkington connected for 15.0 points but it was not enough in the end. Nethaway added 16 kills with a .394 attack percentage with a pair of digs and a block assist, while Parkington had 15 kills with a .293 attack percentage. She was a perfect 19-0 in receptions in the match with 12 digs for a double-double.
First-year defensive specialist Elaina Moisidis led all players with her 29 digs and was 15-0 on reception attempts.
The Golden Flyers continue Empire 8 play Saturday at Utica with a 2 p.m. match.