ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY (September 23, 2016) – The Vassar College women's volleyball team picked up two vital Liberty League victories on Friday night in action from Bard College's Stevenson Athletic Center, knocking off the host Raptors before dispatching of Rochester Institute of Technology in the night cap.

The Brewers defeated Bard College 25-14, 25-11 and 25-17 before getting revenge on RIT from last weekend's loss with a 25-15, 25-12 and 27-25 victory. Win the wins, Vassar moved to 5-1 in Liberty League play, with VC hosting Skidmore College and Union College tomorrow in the Athletics & Fitness Center starting at noon.

"It was a real solid outing for us today, feels good to get into this second weekend and get out of here with two wins," said head coach Jonathan Penn.

Vassar 3, Bard 0
The Vassar College offense was evenly distributed by sophomore setter Annie MacMillan, as 11 players posted kills in the straight set win that saw VC hit .250 for the match. Freshman Jane McLeod led all hitters with seven kills for the match, needing just 14 swings to get there, while adding eight digs as well to star for the Brewers.

The opening set was all VC, as the Brewers scored nine of the first 10 points to take a large advantage. VC would use that early run to cruise to the set win, as Vassar hit .333 in the period while posting 14 terminations. The second set was much of the season, as the VC defense held Bard to -.200 hitting as Devan Gallagher served the final 11 points in the 25-11 win for VC.

In the last set, Bard (2-12, 0-5 Liberty) held an early 6-4 lead but Vassar chalked up six straight points, thanks to a kill and block each from freshman Emily Overman and junior Bria Corham. The Raptors stayed close through the middle of the set, trailing 17-15 after a kill by Kaylynn Tran, but Overman and McLeod helped the Brewers pull away.

Gallagher finished with six kills on 12 attempts, posting two aces, while Corham also finished with five kills, four digs and two assisted blocks. Freshman Colette Cambey was very efficient with five kills on six attempts to hit .667, and MacMillan added 28 assists and seven digs. Freshman Jorden Schreeder chalked up a team-best 12 digs and two service aces.

Bard was paced by the five kills and nine digs from Sofia Koukia.

Vassar 3, RIT 0
The Vassar College defense held Division III kills per set leader Sarah Szybist to 11 kills and .029 hitting from the field, while forcing the Tigers into a .019 hitting percentage as Vassar picked up a straight set win.

In the first set, the teams were deadlocked at eight but VC went on a 7-2 run capped by a kill from Gallagher to take a 15-10 lead, forcing a RIT timeout. The match stayed close until 18-15, when VC chalked up the final seven points including a set-clinching kill from McLeod to take an early lead.

VC used that momentum through the second set, hitting .324 in the second stanza to double its lead. In the game, McLeod and Gallagher combined for nine of VC's 15 kills while holding the Tigers to five successful attacks.

In the final set, RIT responded holding a lead through the entire set until 17-17 when the Brewers tied the set on a service error. The set would be deadlocked seven more times, including at 25-all after RIT had a chance to win the game at 25-24 but served a ball out. With the score tied at 25, McLeod punished down a ball to earn set point and junior Alex Sams and Cambey stuffed a Tiger attempt to win it for VC.

McLeod finished with a match-best 14 kills, hitting .286 for the affair, while Gallagher added nine terminations. Senior Gabby Miller was solid overall with six kills, 10 digs and four blocks, while Cambey was great defensively with six assists rejections. Senior libero Sierra Tobin chalked up a match-best 17 digs after missing the opening match, and MacMillan dished out 21 assists. Vassar hit .204 (37-17-98) for the match, but was great receiving serve as it allowed just two aces all match.

"We really came out strong in the first and second set, energy was amazing the whole time," said Gallagher. "The third set really challenged us...the third set was really tight, but we managed to come back strong 

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Vassar will host Skidmore College at noon Saturday, before taking on the Dutchwomen of Union at 4 p.m. in Poughkeepsie in what will be VC's last conference play until October 21 and 22.