POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - For the first time since 2018, the fourth-seeded Vassar College Women's Volleyball team clinched its spot in the Liberty League Championship Semifinals with a 23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 27-25 victory over fifth-seeded Skidmore in the first round on Tuesday evening at Kenyon Hall. The Brewers advance to take on top-seeded #22 Ithaca on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in Ithaca.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• FIRST SET
  • Vassar took an early 6-1 lead as sophomore Melia Voss and first year Maura McAusland landed three aces along with a winner from junior Frannie Anthony-Brumfield.
  • Skidmore tied the set at 13 all following a kill each from Jazlin Chen and Maya Stolarz before taking a 18-14 lead on winners from Ella Harris and Jo Blanco.
  • The Brewers regained the lead at 19-18 on three kills from first year Holland Kaplan before the Thoroughbreds battled back to take a 23-20 lead on a block from Carolyn Scott and Harris.
  • Kills from sophomore Molly Delahunty and McAusland brought the Brewers within one at 24-23 before Skidmore took the first set on a VC error.
• SECOND SET
  • The Brewers responded with a 9-6 lead as Kaplan and McAusland each buried two kills along with a block from Anthony-Brumfield and Kaplan.
  • Another Kaplan and Anthony-Brumfield block pushed Vassar ahead at 15-11 before Skidmore surged back to take a 17-16 lead on two kills from Blanco and one from Chen.
  • Vassar reeled off five straight points as winners from Delahunty, Anthony-Brumfield and sophomore Rebecca Gutierrez spurred the run for the Brewers.
  • Solo blocks from McAusland and junior Julia Hale pushed Vassar to a second set victory.
• THIRD SET
  • Phoebe Yang's service ace put the Thoroughbreds ahead 7-6 before the Brewers answered back with a strong run to push ahead 13-9, capped by two kills from McAusland and an ace from Voss.
  • The Thoroughbreds came back to tie the set at 19 on an ace each from Blanco and Yang.
  • Vassar took a 23-21 lead following a winner from Delahunty before Skidmore tied it at 23 on an ace from Madison Manning.
  • Kaplan's kill along with a Skidmore error earned Vassar a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set.
• FOURTH SET
  • Two kills from Harris and one from Scott put the Thoroughbreds ahead 7-5 early as the two teams traded the lead back and forth.
  • A four point run from the Brewers, spurred by back-to-back blocks from Delahunty and Hale, was answered by three straight from Skidmore to tie it at 12.
  • Two straight aces from Yang put the Thoroughbreds ahead 18-15 before Catriona Hoelperl's ace kept Skidmore ahead 22-19.
  • Vassar tallied four consecutive points to take a 23-22 lead following a kill from Delahunty, a block from Hale and Delahunty and an ace from McAusland.
  • The set was tied at 25 all before back-to-back winners from Kaplan and McAusland sent the Brewers to the first round victory.

FOR THE BREWERS

• Kaplan registered 15 kills, six digs, two blocks and an ace while McAusland added 15 kills, three aces, three blocks and seven digs.
• Delahunty buried nine winners and five blocks along with Hale recording four kills and six blocks.
• Voss handed out 26 assists along with three aces, two blocks and seven digs.
• First year T Petro lifted a match-high 19 digs and junior Molly Ardren recorded 12 assists.

FOR THE THOROUGHBREDS

• Blanco led the team with 10 kills, two aces, two blocks and seven digs.
• Harris tallied eight kills, two blocks and five digs along with Chen recording six kills and three blocks.
• Manning registered three kills, three aces and 10 digs while Hoelperl added two aces, eight assists and eight digs.
• Noa Berger recorded a team-high 16 assists and 13 digs and Athena Braverman lifted a team-high 16 digs.

UP NEXT

• Vassar will head north to top-seeded #22 Ithaca in the Liberty League Championship semifinals on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.