Fredonia Box Score
Stevens Box Score
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 31, 2009) – Led by the Most Valuable Player performance from freshman hitter Chloe McGuire who had 45 kills in four matches, the Vassar women's volleyball team successfully defended its Volleyball Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Athletics & Fitness Center. Despite losing its final match of Saturday's play against Stevens Institute of Technology, the body of work Vassar had produced in prior matches with a 3-0 record was enough to win the Invitational.
Vassar concluded play with a 3-1 record, followed by SUNY Fredonia with a 3-1 mark, its blemish coming against the Brewers in Saturday's opening match. Stevens and Rochester both finished with 2-2 records while Sage College went 0-4. Invitational Results.
Vassar freshman setter Hilary Koenigs joined McGuire on the All-Invitational Team. Also earning recognition were: junior middle hitter Nicole Corbett from Sage College, freshman middle block Alma Guevara from Rochester, junior outside hitter Sarah Byrne from Stevens and junior middle block Kaitlin Erdmann from SUNY Fredonia.
The Brewers conclude the weekend with a 20-8 overall record and will face SUNY Purchase in the season finale at Kenyon Hall on Monday, November 2. Vassar will host the Liberty League Volleyball Tournament next Friday and Saturday, November 6-7 at the Athletics & Fitness Center.
Stevens def. Vassar 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-17)
Led by the outstanding play of junior outside hitter Sarah Byrne, Stevens broke away from a tight first set to sweep past the Brewers. There were 11 ties in the opening set, the last coming at 19-19, but the Ducks were able to pull away with strong kills coming from freshman middle block Laura Johnson and freshman outside hitter Maggie Kowalska for the opening set victory.
Bryne came alive in the next two sets, earning nine kills over the next two sets. In each of the last two sets, the Ducks jumped out in front of the Brewers and kept the offensive pressure on. The match was tied 5-5 in the second set, but a kill by Byrne provided Stevens with a 13-8 advantage and enough breathing room to secure the 25-18 victory. Vassar fell behind 12-4 in the third set and despite back-to-back kills from junior hitter Julianna Simon could never come closer than five points in a 25-17 loss.
Vassar senior hitter Tess Johnson did her best to keep Vassar in each of the final two sets, finishing with eight kills. Koenigs had 25 set assists and junior Chelsea Mottern continued her fine defensive play with 12 digs.
Vassar def. SUNY Fredonia 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-20)
This match had all the makings of a 5-setter after the Blue Devils opened with a tightly contested 25-23 first set victory, one that featured seven ties, the last three at 18-18, 21-21 and 23-23. Fredonia was able to secure the victory with back-to-back kills from sophomore middle block Chelsea Stenn, who led her team with nine kills in the set. The Brewers did hold a 21-18 lead following a Fredonia setting error, but the visitors responded with a kill by junior middle block Kaitlin Erdmann and back-to-back kills from freshman outside hitter Lindsey Olson.
Defensive play from Chloe McGuire, Mottern and junior defensive specialist Jasmin Iskandar made the difference in Vassar's victory, one that was earned on the defensive side. That trio combined for 53 digs, with McGuire earning 21, Mottern 20 and Iskandar 13.
Vassar took heady control of the fourth and deciding set by jumping out to a 9-1 lead and was coasting nicely with a 15-5 lead through the middle portion of the set following a kill by Johnson. Behind the play of Erdmann, junior middle block Brittany Christian and senior outside hitter Rebecca Zimmerman, the Blue Devils sliced into the Vassar lead down to two points twice, at 18-16 and 20-18, but the all-court digging by Mottern and opportune kills by McGuire, Bavosa and Johnson kept Vassar ahead in a set that the Brewers led from start to finish.
The Brewers capitalized on a dozen Fredonia miscues in the third set to earn comfortable 25-15 third set victory. The set did feature nine ties, but its complexion changed dramatically at 13-13. With Koenigs serving, Vassar scored five straight points for an 18-14 lead. The Brewers would reel off 12 of the final 14 points, with four of those points coming from McGuire down the stretch.
Vassar evened the match 1-1 with a 25-19 win in the second set. The Brewers went ahead 9-8 following a kill by Simon and controlled the match, albeit precariously, with two point lead that eventually swelled to 19-13 after a kill from sophomore Amy Bavosa. Fredonia did close within 22-19 after a kill by Erdmann, however kills by McGuire and Simon enabled Vassar to even the match.
Vassar got 14 kills from McGuire, 11 from Johnson and seven from Bavosa. Koenigs had 37 set assists and senior Sarah Potts had five total blocks, four coming from block assists.
Sophomore setter Brittany Lis was the architect of 33 set assists for Fredonia. Sophomore libero Sarah Zureck had 26 digs.
