Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 26, 2011) – Playing its first match in 11 days following Fall Break, the Vassar College women's volleyball team fell to a strong SUNY New Paltz team 3-1 (14-25, 25-22, 17-25, 21-25) on Wednesday night at Kenyon Hall.

While shaking off the signs of some rust, the Brewers kept competitive against a Hawks team that improved its record to 21-9 and last week had secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SUYNAC Tournament in the previous matches.

The Brewers, who got 12 kills from senior Amy Bavosa and 10 from sophomore Jessie Ditmore, drop to 16-12 on the season. Vassar plays its final home match of the season on Saturday against Kean University at 4:00 p.m. The team will honor Bavosa prior to the contest. SUNY New Paltz takes its 21-9 record into the Skidmore Tournament this Friday and Saturday and will face SUNY Plattsburgh and Baruch in opening matches.

After dropping the first set 25-14, the Brewers tied the match 1-1 with a tight 25-22 victory in the second set. Vassar jumped out to a 9-2 lead, but saw the set tied at 14-14 and 15-15. New Paltz capitalized on a Vassar attack error to surge ahead 21-17, but four straight New Paltz attack errors tied the set at 21-21. Vassar won four of the next five points on the strength of kills from junior's Hilary Koenigs and Chloe McGuire.

New Paltz captured the third and fourth sets with scrappy defense, opportune offensive and timely serving.  The second set was tied four times, the last being at 16-16. Back-to-back kills from New Paltz junior middle hitter Laura Stanhewicz following a Vassar timeout afforded the Hawks a 20-16 lead. Another Stanhewicz kill coupled by back-to-back Vassar attack errors enabled New Paltz to take the set 25-17.

The fourth set saw the Hawks lead from start-to-finish, controlling a three point margin virtually the entire set. The Brewers were able to draw within 22-20 and 23-21 following kills from Bavosa, but a Vassar service error and kill from junior outside hitter Michelle Jacobson ended the match for New Paltz, 21-25.

Bavosa and Ditmore had 22 of Vassar's 46 kills, with freshman Clara Cardillo registering a season-high seven kills and fellow freshman Marie Pitre chipping in with six. Koenigs had 36 set assists and a solid defensive effort saw both Ditmore and Pitre earn 13 digs.

SUNY New Paltz got 14 kills outings from Stanhewicz and junior middle hitter Dana Vosilla. Sophomore Marissa King had 37 set assists and Senior outside hitter Melinda DiGiovanna had 20 digs. Sophomore libero Carrie Hack had 15 digs, reaching the 1,000 mark in her career.