POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Vassar College Women's Volleyball team fell twice on Senior Day on Saturday as the Brewers lost 12-25, 20-25, 11-25 to New Paltz and then dropped a heartbreaking five set match to William Paterson 20-25, 25-16, 26-24, 24-26, 13-15. Sophomore Hailey Hayes (Canyon Lake, TX) recorded a career-high 21 kills against the Pioneers as Vassar fell to 4-20 on the season.

NP 3 Vassar 0
The Hawks started on an early 1-6 run following a kill from Makenzie Bills and a service ace from Melanie Podstupka. Vassar cut the lead to two following kills from freshman Molly Delahunty (Newton, MA) and sophomore Frannie Anthony-Brumfield (Hanover, VA). New Paltz scored the next five points which included two kills from Letisha Perez and two aces from Mia Waddell.

Following a kill from freshman Rebecca Gutierrez (Oak Park, IL) that made the set 7-14, the Hawks scored six of the next seven points on kills from three different players to run its lead to 8-20. Delahunty had two late kills and an ace but the Hawks took the first set on a kill from Victoria Konicki. 

Vassar scored the first three points of the second set as freshman Melia Voss (Marietta, GA) landed two aces. Vassar kept its lead at 10-8 following a kill from sophomore Julia Hale (Hillsborough, CA) and then a double block from Hale and Gutierrez. A kill from Delahunty along with a New Paltz error pushed Vassar's lead to 16-13 in the second set before the Hawks scored four straight to take a one point lead.

Hayes buried a winner to tie the set back up but New Paltz scored four of the next five to get it to 18-21 on a service ace from Kayleigh Emanuelson. Vassar cut the lead to one following two Hawks errors but New Paltz responded with the final four points to take the second set 20-25.

New Paltz rolled out to another early 1-6 lead following kills from Mackenzie Williams and Katie Steele. A kill from Gutierrez cut the lead to 5-9 before the Hawks pushed its lead up quickly to 6-18 following two Williams aces. The Hawks took the third set 11-25 on a Perez kill.

Hayes picked up six kills in the first match and added eight digs. Delahunty added five kills and two aces while Hale recorded two blocks. Voss handed out 18 assists for Vassar while sophomore Morgan Miller (Lone Tree, CO) added five digs.

Steele and Perez each finished with eight kills for New Paltz as Konicki added five kills and four blocks. Bills, Waddell and Podstupka each had three service aces for the Hawks while DiGiacomo handed out a game-high 22 assists.

WP 3 VAS 2
The first set of the second match of the day for Vassar started back and forth as senior Kaitlin Birnbaum (La Jolla, CA) buried a kill to cut the Pioneers lead to 5-6. The Brewers took a 10-9 lead following a Delahunty kill until William Paterson scored seven of the next eight points to take a 11-16 lead. A kill from Delahunty slowed the Pioneers lead at 15-20 but a kill from Paola Molina gave William Paterson the first set victory.

Following an early Pioneers 5-8 lead in the second set, Vassar fought its way back and took a 14-13 lead on a Hayes winner. The Pioneers tied it back up at 14 but the Brewers tallied 11 of the next 13 points in the set to earn the second set victory. Freshman Ellie Kogan (Brooklyn, NY) had two service aces during the run while Hale had three kills and Gutierrez and Hayes each added two winners.

William Paterson took an early 3-8 lead following a Inaya Jones winner before Hayes recorded two kills and Delahunty landed an ace to cut the lead to two. After the Pioneers Alexa Jarvis buried a kill to give WP a 6-11 advantage, the Brewers rattled off seven straight points including three kills by Hayes and two blocks from Hale. 

After a block from Anthony-Brumfield that gave the Brewers a 22-17 advantage, the Pioneers scored four straight to cut the Vassar lead to one. William Paterson evened the set up at 24 all but VC took the next two points on another Hayes kill and Hale block to earn the third set victory.

Following a back to back beginning to the fourth set, Vassar took a 15-8 lead after an ace from Miller and two kills from Delahunty. William Paterson scored five straight to cut the lead to two after an ace from Ava Padwelka. The Brewers pushed its lead up to 23-19 after another block from Hale but the Pioneers seven of the next points and an ace from Molina pushed the match to a deciding fifth set.

The final set went back and forth throughout the first 18 points as the set stood at nine apiece after a kill from Erica Bickart. A winner from Hayes gave the Brewers a one point advantage but the Pioneers Jones buried two winners to take a one point lead of their own.

Hayes tied the set back up at 12 with another kill but William Paterson pushed its lead to two and match point following a service ace from Ciara Feliz. Hayes knocked down another kill to get it to 13-14 but the Pioneers' Carissa Ostolaza buried the game-winning kill to earn a 3-2 match victory.

Hayes finished with a match-high 21 kills and added two aces and eight digs. Delahunty and Gutierrez each had eight kills while Hale finished with five blocks, including four solo. Voss handed out 40 assists in the match as Birnbaum knocked down three aces. Miller lifted 33 digs for the Brewers while freshman Noa McCrane (Los Angeles, CA) chipped in 16 digs.

Jones led the Pioneers in kills with 12 and added four blocks. Abigail Hayth had 10 kills and 16 digs while also adding four aces. Jarvis handed out a team-high 24 assists while Bickart added four blocks. Molina lifted a team-high 30 digs for William Paterson and Kiyarah Hicks added 11.

Vassar will travel to RIT on Tuesday night to play in the Liberty League Championship Quarterfinal. The time of the contest in Rochester is TBD.