Seeds: 1. Clarkson, 2. Vassar, 3. St. Lawrence, 4. Skidmore, 5. Union
Click here for a PDF of the Liberty League Women's Volleyball Championship Program
Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year: Melissa DeRan, Allison Busser (St. Lawrence)
Liberty League co-Player of the Year: Lauren Dinsdale (Skidmore), Abigail Rose (St. Lawrence)
Liberty League Rookie of the Year: Hilary Koenigs (Vassar)
Liberty League First-Team: Sara Artus (Clarkson), Alexandra Kamakas (St. Lawrence), Chloe McGuire (Vassar), Veronica Mynders (Union), Meredith Palmer (Skidmore), Jennsa Stock (Clarkson)
Liberty League Second Team: Amy Bavosa (Vassar), Jessica Lucky (St. Lawrence), Megan Mahon (Clarkson), Eve Richards (Union), Alison Schroder (Clarkson), Kelly Vershbow (Skidmore)
All-Tournament Team: Hilary Koenigs (Vassar), Jenna Stock (Clarkson), Lauren Dinsdale (Skidmore), Chloe McGuire (Vassar), Alexandra Kamakas (St. Lawrence), Rachel Ormsby (Union)
Tournament MVP: Sarah Artus (Clarkson)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
11:00 am Clarkson def. St. Lawrence 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16)
Box Score
1:00 pm Vassar def. Skidmore 3-2 (19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13)
Box Score
St. Lawrence def. Union, 3-0 (25-21, 25-6, 25-21)
Box Score
3:00 pm Clarkson def. Vassar, 3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-17)
Box Score
Skidmore vs. Union, 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-12)
Box Score
Clarkson def. St. Lawrence, 3-1 (25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16)
The #1 seeded Clarkson Knights narrowly defeated the scrappy St. Lawrence Saints in a 4-set match 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16.
Clarkson found its rhythm early in the first set behind the devastating attack of sophomore outside hitter Sara Artus, who notched three kills in the 6-point run that gave Clarkson a 6-2 lead to start the match. Although St. Lawrence kept within striking distance, there were only two lead changes in the first set. After two St. Lawrence errors broke a 22-22 tie and set up set point, Artus delivered one of her 18 kills to help Clarkson win the first set 25-23.
St. Lawrence responded in the second set by gaining a hard-fought 10-7 lead, but Clarkson rattled off 7 of 8 points to take command of the set 14-11. Clarkson’s 5-point swing coming out of a 16-16 tie extended the Knights lead to 21-16 but did not guarantee a victory. Behind the booming serves of St. Lawrence junior setter Abigail Rose, the Saints evened the score at 21-21. Untimely Saint miscues surrendered set point to Clarkson and fittingly Artus delivered yet another untouchable spike to the corner to take the set 25-22.
Although Clarkson guarded a 2-set lead, the momentum in the third set clearly favored the Saints as 10 ties resulted in only two lead changes. Tied at 16-16, the serving of junior outside hitter Lauren Drozynski helped the Saints jump out to 21-16 lead. After trading points, the superb kill by freshmen hitter Alexandra Kamakas sealed the set 25-21 for the Saints.
Clarkson returned to form in the fourth set thanks to Artus’ three kills in a four-point run that put the Knights in front 12-5. An emphatic block by Clarkson sophomore Rachel Simons gave the Knights the 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16 victory.
Artus led Clarkson with 18 kills while senior setter Jenna Stock tallied 37 assists. Junior libero Alison Schroeder registered 33 digs.
Rose led St. Lawrence with 42 assists and sophomore libero Katherine Pierce scored 44 digs.
St Lawrence def. Union 3-0 (25-21, 25-6, 25-21)
No. 3 St. Lawrence swept past No. 5 Union with a three set match. Both teams started out strong and ready to swing. Down 11-9, Union took a 15-11 lead with three kills from Erika Van Valkenburg, but the momentum of the match shifted to the Saints as they went on a streak, winning 10 of the next 12 points to put them ahead 21-17. Both teams continued to battle, but strong hitting from Jordyn Buzza finished the first set for the Saints 25-21.
The Saints held nothing back in the second set taking an outstanding 16-0 lead. Alexandra Kamakas made her presence at the net known in the second set with four kills from the middle, a block, and three block assists with setter Abigail Rose. Jordyn Buzza’s consistent serving made the sixteen points run possible with four aces. She also picked herself up an outside kill from off the net. Bridget Little ended the Saints streak with a kill to give Union their first point of the set. Union tried to fight back with kills from Eve Richards, but there was no chance for the Dutchwomen to close the gap. The Saints finished the set off with a block from Nyasha Miller.
Rachel Ormsby started the third set with an ace to put Union out in front, but once the Saints gained the lead at 4-3 they kept the lead to finish out the match. The Saints’ strong attacking and unsurpassable blocking made the third set out of reach for the Dutchwomen. Abigail Rose made an outstanding dig to keep the Saints momentum going and increase their lead to 13-7. Union tried to conjure up a comeback at the end of the set with aces from Eve Richards and Carissa Vazzana, and kills from Bridgett Little and Rachel Ormsby to make the score 21-23, but St. Lawrence remained poised and fought off the Dutchwomen with a kill from Buzza. The Saints closed out the third set in the same fashion as the entire match with a block assist from Miller and Kamaska.
St. Lawrence was led by Jessica Lucky with 7 kills and 18 digs. Abigail Rose had 26 set assists for the Saints. Union got six kills from Rachel Ormsby and 16 set assists from Kimberly Armstrong.
Vassar def. Skidmore 3-2 (19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13)
In a thrilling, five-game match full of intensity, pressure, and emotion, the Vassar College women’s volleyball team pulled out a 3-2 win over Skidmore College (19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 15-13) to keep their hopes of winning the 2009 Liberty League tournament alive.
The Brewers were led by the impressive hitting of freshman
Chloe McGuire and sophomore
Amy Bavosa, who had 19 and 17 kills, respectively. Freshman setter
Hilary Koenigs continued her dominant play with 52 set assists and 13 digs. Seniors
Tess Johnson and
Sarah Potts contributed as well with 11 and 8 kills respectively. Chelsea Mottern led the team in digs with 15. For the Thoroughbreds, junior Meredith Palmer had 17 kills in the match and junior Becca Ormsby had 38 set assists. Freshman Carolyn Bottlier had a match-high 21 digs to go along with 9 kills.
In the decisive fifth game, the Thoroughbreds grabbed a quick 4-2 lead behind a kill and back-to-back aces from Bottelier. Vassar came back to tie the game at seven after kills from Johnson and Bavosa. With Skidmore leading 11-8, McGuire made a fierce kill followed by a service ace. The Thoroughbreds went ahead one final time, 13-11, before the Brewers took over and scored the final four points of the game off kills by Bavosa and Johnson to win 15-13.
The Thoroughbreds managed to force a fifth game after holding off a furious Vassar comeback in the fourth game. Skidmore built a solid 17-10 lead behind a number of kills from Palmer and sophomore outside hitter Kelley Vershbow. The Brewers used kills from McGuire, Bavosai and senior Potts as well as three straight service aces from Potts to cut the lead to 20-19. Skidmore managed to fend off the Brewers behind Palmer and Bottelier kills and pulled out a 25-21 win.
Neither team managed more than a two-point lead at point in the third game until the Brewers went ahead 23-19 behind kills from Bavosa and Potts and a McGuire service ace. The Brewers scored five of the last six points in the game to win 25-20 and hold a 2-1 lead.
In the second game, McGuire notched three straight kills to give the Brewers an early 5-4 lead. The two teams battled throughout the game before Vassar went ahead 19-15 behind a service ace from senior
Jasmin Iskandar. The Thoroughbreds scored four straight points, including back-to-back service aces from senior libero Lauren Dinsdale, to tie the game at 19. Vassar again took control late in the game, using an impressive solo block from Koenigs to win the game 25-21.
Skidmore won the first game of the match, as the Brewers found themselves plagued by service and attack errors. The Thoroughbreds jumped ahead 16-10 after a Palmer block and kills from Bottelier and freshman Mallory Mendelsohn. Although Vassar managed to cut the lead to one, the Thoroughbreds took advantage of Vassar miscues and finished off the game, 25-19 with another impressive kill from Palmer.
Skidmore def. Union 3-2 (25-19, 23-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-12)
In the final game of the 2009 Women’s Liberty League Volleyball tournament, the Skidmore Thoroughbreds fought off a motivated Union team in five sets, winning 25-19, 23-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-12.
The Thoroughbreds, who had just lost a tough five-setter to Vassar earlier in the day, won nine consecutive points in the first game, including three straight kills by Junior Meredith Palmer, to beat the Dutchwomen 25-19. However, Union caught fire during the second game, winning nine of ten points during one streak. Senior Rachel Ormsby had a magnificent second game for Union, with three kills and two aces, leading the Dutchwomen to a 25-23 victory to even the match.
Union’s sharp play continued in the third game, rattling off 10 straight points to increase their lead to 13-5, with Senior Veronica Mynders serving three aces during the stretch. The Dutchwomen ultimately held on to win the third game convincingly, 25-18.
Skidmore was relentless in the fourth game, as they overwhelmed Union with their superb serving including three straight aces by senior Lauren Dinsdale. After the Thoroughbreds tied up the match with a 25-17 victory in the fourth game, Skidmore took a 7-4 lead in the fifth and final game. Much like the rest of the match, Union refused to go away quietly, and eventually pulled even at 12-12. Finally, Palmer took over for Skidmore once again, as the Thoroughbreds won the final three points to seal the well-earned victory.
Clarkson def. Vassar 3-1 ( 22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-17)
Down two sets to one, the Brewers took a 4-2 lead on Clarkson in the fourth set on kills by three different players. Clarkson mounted a comeback, however, and took advantage of a succession of Vassar errors to take a 7-5 lead. Vassar tied the score at eight and was just one point behind for much of the set, but consistent tough digs and a merciless offensive attack from sophomore hitter Sarah Artus kept Clarkson on top. With a 21-17 lead, Clarkson rallied for four straight points to finish off the championship 25-17.
The first set of the match saw eight ties and four lead changes. After Clarkson pulled ahead 18-16 on a kill by Artus, Vassar scored four straight points to take a 20-18 lead. Clarkson cut the lead to 20-19, but the Brewers again strung off three points in a row and held on for the 25-22 win.
Artus slammed consecutive kills on the first two plays of the second set, pushing her team in front 4-0. Before Vassar could gather itself and make a run, Clarkson had increased its lead to 10-3 and limited the prospect of a Brewers comeback. Vassar inched closer behind a string of kills from Chloe McGuire and Amy Bavosa and cut the Clarkson lead to 20-18, but the Golden Knights finished the set with five straight points behind the service of senior Davanna Chetney to win 25-18 and knot the match at 1-1.
The match’s pivotal third set was, in many ways, a match-up of two athletic hitters. Bavosa had powerful kills for her team’s first two points, but Artus, not to be out-matched, responded to each Bavosa kill with one of her own. The set was tied at one, two, three, four and five, but a 3-0 run put Clarkson ahead 8-5, a lead it would not relinquish. A Bavosa kill cut the lead to 19-18, but Clarkson scored three of the next four, two of which were Artus kills, to stay ahead.
Bavosa led Vassar with 13 kills, while McGuire had 12 and Julianna Simon and Tess Johnson eight apiece. Junior Chelsea Mottern had 22 digs, and freshman #Hillary Koenigs#, McGuire and Bavosa had 14, 11 and 10 digs respectively. Koenigs paced the Brewers with 44 assists.
Artus finished off her MVP performance with 20 kills and a game-high 51 total attacks. Alison Schroeder led Clarkson with 21 digs, and Jenna Stock had 36 assists.
Friday, November 6, 2009
4:00 pm: Vassar def. Union, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-20)
Box Score
6:00 pm: Clarkson def. Union, 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 16-25, 26-24)
Box Score
St. Lawrence def. Skidmore, 3-1 (25-27, 25-21, 25-16, 25-20)
Box Score
8:00 pm Skidmore def. Clarkson, 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-21)
Box Score
Vassar vs. St. Lawrence, 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-18)
Box Score
Vassar def. Union, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-20)
In the opening match of the Liberty League Volleyball tournament, the host was dominant, as second-seeded Vassar defeated fifth-seeded Union in three sets, 25-18, 25-16 and 25-20.
Vassar was the aggressor early on, following an attack error with five straight points to take a 5-1 lead in the first set. The Brewers went up 7-2 three points later on a Union reception error, and the Dutchwomen would not get closer than five points for the rest of the set.
Vassar’s largest lead was eight, which it took when senior
Tess Johnson kill made the score 24-16. Johnson finished off the first game three points later with her third kill of the game.
The second set started out 3-3, but Vassar took a 7-3 lead on four straight Union errors. The Brewers were unable to expand that lead, as Union’s three 6-foot tall hitters, Eve Richards, Rachel Ormsby and Jordan Remillard, caused havoc in front of the net. Ormsby had consecutive kills and a block assist during one stretch, and Union was helped by two Vassar return errors to tie the game at 12.
Union took its first lead of the match 15-14 on another Vassar return error, but the Brewers inched back on top to take an 18-16 lead off a kill by
Amy Bavosa. That brought freshman
Hilary Koenigs to the service line, and Koenigs tallied seven straight points, including an ace that hit the tape and dropped untouched over the net to finish off the game, for the 25-16 win.
Vassar’s efficiency sputtered a bit in set three. The Brewers made nine errors – compared to ten in the first two games combined – and maintained a one or two point lead for the majority of the game. The Dutchwomen took a 10-9 lead after three straight Brewer errors, and the game was tied at 11, 15, 18 and 19. However, Vassar yet again finished the game on a 5-1 run, and capped off the match with another Johnson kill.
Johnson led Vassar with 12 kills and only two errors, while freshman
Chloe McGuire added ten kills and a team-high 11 digs. Koenigs had 34 assists, Bavosa had nine kills, and junior
Chelsea Mottern had 10 digs.
Union was led by Ormsby’s seven kills. Veronica Mynders tallied 17 digs, and Kimberly Armstrong had 14 assists.
Clarkson def. Union 3-1 ( (25-14, 25-22, 16-25, 26-24)
Top seeded Clarkson emerged victorious over a resilient Union squad 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 16-25, 26-24) behind a solid effort from sophomore outside hitter Sara Artus, and senior setter Jenna Stock. Artus led the Golden Knights with 23 kills, while Stock contributed 45 assists for Clarkson.
The first set saw Union jump out to a quick 7-3 lead before Clarkson battled back to take an 11-10 lead en route to a 25-14 victory. Artus had six kills in the set, and freshman outside hitter Courtney Haines added four kills for the Golden Knights. Stock had 12 assists in the set, which featured seven Golden Knight service aces, including two each from Artus and junior defensive specialist Alison Schroder.
Clarkson carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead. Union battled to keep the match close, pulling within one at 13-12 off a Clarkson attack error. However, the No. 1 seed handled the pressure and extended its lead to 23-16, but Union won six of the final eight points in the match to make it close, drawing within three on a kill by sophomore Becky Hoeffler. With Union rallying, Clarkson closed out the set behind a kill from sophomore Megan Mahon. Once again, Artus and Stock keyed the Clarkson victory. Artus added another six kills, while Stock contributed another 11 assists.
Once again, momentum carried over from the previous set, this time in favor of the Dutchwomen. Both teams traded points early, however Union eventually gained a concrete advantage jumping out to a 15-7 lead, after the teams were tied at 5. The run was keyed by three kills from senior Rachel Ormsby and two service aces from senior Defensive Specialist Veronica Mynders. Each Ormsby kill was assisted by freshman setter Kimberly Armstrong. After jumping out to their 15-7 lead, Union never looked back, cruising to a 25-16 victory in the set.
The fourth and final set lived up to the conclusion of a dramatic match. Union started off red-hot, jumping out to an 8-3 lead; however, much like the first set, Clarkson battled back to tie the set at 10, and then take an 11-10 lead. This time, the Dutchwomen would not let the set slip away. The teams traded points, until Union took a 17-16 lead, extending that to a 21-18 advantage. Clarkson battled back from the deficit to take a 23-22 lead. The Clarkson run was keyed by two blocks from sophomore Middle-Blocker Rachel Simons, one of which was assisted by Mahon. The Golden Knights finally closed out Union at 26-24 off a kill from Mahon, which hit off a Union blocker before landing along the right sideline.
Clarkson was led by Artus with 23 kills and Mahon with 10, while Stock added 45 set assists. Schroeder led Clarkson with 21 digs, with Junior Amanda Rankin adding ten of her own. Sophomore Eve Richards led Union with 13 kills, with Ormsby adding ten. Armstrong finished with 29 assists for Union. Mynders led the Dutchwomen with 20 digs. Armstrong and Junior Erika Van Valkenburg each added 13 digs, while Richards finished with 12.
St. Lawrence def. Skidmore 3-1 (25-27, 25-21, 25-16, 25-20)
No. 3 Saint Lawrence picked up a comeback victory over No. 4 Skidmore in its first match of the evening, recovering from a first set loss to win the next three games. In the first set the Thoroughbreds went out in front with serves from Becca Ormsby, to take an 8-1 lead, but the Saints bounced right back to tie the set at 11. The set remained tight until the end. Down 24-25, Meredith Palmer made a key block for Skidmore to tie the set at 25-25. Following two errors from St. Lawrence, Skidmore was able to win the set 27-25.
Set two was just as close as the first, but this time the win went to the Saints. St. Lawrence gained momentum behind Katherine Pierce’s serves and came back from 14-11 to take the lead, 17-14. A three point lead was the largest by either team until the last points of the set with a 25-21 finish from St. Lawrence.
Similar to the first two sets, the third set started evenly. However, with the score tied 10-10, St. Lawrence went on a streak winning nine of the next ten points with outside kills from Jessica Lucky and Nyasha Miller, and a block and a kill from the middle hitter Alexandra Kamakas. The Saints got their first commanding win of the match, 25-16, punctuated with a set-ending kill from outside hitter Miller.
In the final set, St. Lawrence trailed 10-7 early, but came back to take the lead, winning ten of the next twelve points. With their 12-17 lead, the Saints carried their momentum through the rest of the set. Power at the net from Lucky, Miller, and Kamakas pushed Saint Lawrence to the win in the fourth set to close out the game.
Kamakas led the Saints with 15 kills, followed by Miller (13) and Lucky (12). Abigail Rose tallied 42 assists and 24 digs, while Pierce added 16 digs and Jordyn Buzza contributed 16.
For the Thoroughbreds, Kelly Vershbow recorded 19 kills, followed by Palmer with 15. Ormsby racked up 42 assists, while defensively, Lauren Dinsdale led the way with 35 digs, followed by Carolyn Bottelier’s 17.
Skidmore def. Clarkson, 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-21)
Fourth-seeded Skidmore upset top-seeded Clarkson 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-21) in a closely contested match. The match was evenly played throughout, with each set coming down to the wire. However, each set, Skidmore was able to persevere on its way to the sweep.
The first set saw Clarkson in control much of the way. The Golden Knights led 8-7 and did not trail again until the score was 24-23. The teams traded points at the end with Clarkson holding a 26-25 advantage. Skidmore responded with three kills, one each from junior Meredith Palmer, freshman Mallory Mendelsohn, and the set winner from sophomore Kelley Vershbow, which deflected off a Clarkson blocker.
The second set was tight, featuring a series of runs for both teams, but in the end Skidmore was able to hold on for the win. The Thoroughbreds started off hot, jumping to a 16-9 lead. The rest of the set saw streaks by both teams resulting in fluctuations of the score. Skidmore appeared to have made the decisive run, with four consecutive points putting the Thoroughbreds in front, 24-18, however, Clarkson answered with five of its own, pulling to within one, 24-23. This led to Skidmore’s freshman hitter Carolyn Bottelier knocking home the set-winning kill, one of her team-high ten in the match off of an assist from junior Becca Ormsby.
The final set was the closest of the evening. The set saw eight lead changes, with no team holding an advantage of more than three points until the final. Skidmore took its final lead at 20-19, fighting back from a one-point deficit off of two Clarkson attacking errors. The Thoroughbreds closed out the match with a block from Bottelier, who also had 10 digs.
Sophomore Sara Artus had a match-high 21 kills for Clarkson, while classmate Megan Mahon added 13. Golden Knights’ senior Jenna Stock recorded a match-high 38 assists, with her Skidmore counterpart, Ormsby notching 24. Skidmore senior libero Lauren Dinsdale led all competitors with 25 digs and Ormsby added 14 for Skidmore. Artus and junior defensive specialist Alison Schroeder each led Clarkson with 20 digs.
This is the third time Skidmore and Clarkson have faced each other this season and the first time the Thoroughbreds have emerged with a victory.
Vassar vs. St. Lawrence, 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-18)
Vassar lost its first set of the tournament 20-25 to open up its match against No. 3 St. Lawrence, but came back in the next three games to knock off the Saints 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-18.
St. Lawrence surprised Vassar with a quick 4-0 start in the opening set, and never let Vassar pull ahead. The Brewers tied the score at eight on an ace by junior
Chelsea Mottern, but St. Lawrence came right back with three straight points to take the lead for good. St. Lawrence got five kills from sophomore Nyasha Miller in the 25-20 win.
As if reenergized by the sting of a loss, Vassar started the second set with a vengeance, and a bit of luck. Senior
Sarah Potts aced the first two serves of the set, both of which hit the tape and dropped over the net untouched. Vassar also took the next two points, and captured the momentum along with its 4-0 lead.
St. Lawrence cut the Vassar lead to two by making the score 5-7 and later 13-15, but the Brewers held off both comeback attempts and finished with a flourish. After a Saints’ service error made the score 16-13, Vassar tallied five straight points behind the service of freshman Hillary Koenigs, and then scored four of the next six to win 25-15.
Vassar’s offensive attack was even more efficient in the third set. The teams traded possession for the first ten points, but Vassar turned a 6-4 lead into an 11-4 lead with an ace, two kills and a block. Two points later, the Brewers went on another 5-0 run to open up a 16-5 lead. St. Lawrence responded with a 4-0 run of its own, but Vassar’s offense was too potent to be stopped, and cruised to a 25-11 win.
St. Lawrence took leads of 4-2, 8-4 and 10-7 in the fourth set, but a Vassar comeback run in the middle of the set put the Brewers in the driver’s seat to take the match. After a Mottern kill cut the Saints lead to 10-8, senior
Jasmin Iskandar served four straight points for Vassar, including one ace, to give her team a 12-10 lead. Another 3-0 run two points later put the Brewers ahead 15-11, and St. Lawrence would not get any closer than four for the remainder of the set.
Freshman
Chloe McGuire led Vassar with 14 kills and no attack errors, while senior
Tess Johnson and sophomore
Amy Bavosa had nine and seven kills respectively. Mottern recorded 22 digs, McGuire added 15, and Koenigs had 36 assists and 11 digs.
St. Lawerence was led by Miller’s nine kills and Katherine Pierce contributed 21 digs. Abby Rose added 15 digs and led the Saints with 23 assists.
