No. 3 Keuka and No. 5 Alfred Advance in 2023 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship First Round Action

Women's Volleyball | 11/7/2023 3:03:33 PM

No. 3 seed Keuka College and No. 5 seed Alfred University advanced in the 2023 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament after earning victories in first round action on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Keuka knocked off No. 6 seed Utica University in three sets for its first E8 postseason win in program history, while Alfred went on the road and defeated No. 4 seed Nazareth University in three sets.

Semifinal action will take place on Thursday, Nov. 9. Top-seed St. John Fisher University will host Alfred in one semifinal at 7 p.m., while No. 2 seed Hartwick College will face Keuka in a semifinal match, also at 7 p.m. The two winners will meet for the championship at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, Nov. 11. Earlier this season, St. John Fisher defeated Alfred in four sets on Sept. 29, while Hartwick earned a dramatic five-set win over Keuka, also on Sept. 29

NO. 5 ALFRED 3, NO. 4 NAZARETH 0
Alfred (12-13) picked up its second ever Empire 8 conference tournament victory, traveling north to defeat Nazareth (9-18) in straight sets, 25-21, 25-17, 26-24. The Saxons avenged an earlier three-set loss to Nazareth earlier in the season.

In the opening set, Alfred trailed Nazareth 21-15 before storming back to score the final 10 points and take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Saxons rolled in the second set, jumping out to a 12-2 lead before cruising to the win. Alfred led for most of the final set before Nazareth rallied to take a late lead. With the set tied 24-24 a Taylor Malone kill and then her service ace would clinch the win for the Saxons.

Alfred hit .262 for the match, while holding Nazareth to a .256 hitting percentage. The Saxons had 43 digs to 30 for Nazareth, while both teams had seven service aces.

Malone led all student-athletes with 19 kills and 11 digs, while hitting .333 in the match. Delaney Sims dished out 35 assists and hit .455 with five kills. Darian Ortiz added 10 digs, while Cara Bratthauar recorded six kills. Jamie Chun had eight digs and three service aces.

Tessa Grover led Nazareth with 11 assists, nine kills and six digs. Rylee Loomis hit .353 with seven kills and two digs, while Ella Kules added 13 assists.

NO. 3 KEUKA 3, NO. 6 UTICA 1
Keuka (19-6) continued one of its best seasons in program history, while picking up its first Empire 8 postseason win since joining in 2021, earning a 25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 25-14 win over Utica (16-13). The win sends the Wolves to the Empire 8 Semifinals for the first time in program history.
 
Keuka trailed late in each of the first two sets but rallied to get to 25 first. Utica made a strong late rally to win the third set and extend the match before Keuka stormed out to a 10-2 lead in the fourth set and was never threatened in securing the victory.

Keuka had 56 kills to 42 from Utica, while the Pioneers won the dig battle, 87-84.

Keuka senior Dayna Edholm had a match-high 25 kills to go along with 12 digs. Teammate Casey Hunziker dished out 46 assists, while adding nine digs, four kills and three service aces. Cameron Knapp added 12 kills offensively for Keuka. Defensively, libero Emma Sipos led all players with 25 digs, while Kendra Waltz chipped in with 17.

Utica's Caitlyn Esposito hit .280 on the evening with 11 kills to go along with a pair of blocks. Eleanor Cepiel had 17 digs and nine kills, while Lauren Jones dished out 15 assists to go along with 14 digs. Cassi Wageman had a team-high 18 digs.