Schenectady, NY - Powered by 21 kills from senior
Holland Kaplan and a career-high 32 digs from first year
Riley Huang, the Vassar College Women's Volleyball team pulled off a stunning reverse sweep victory on the road against Union (16-25, 19-25, 25-16, 25-21, 15-10) on Wednesday evening.
Vassar's record improves to 11-12 overall and 5-2 in the Liberty League while the Garnet Chargers drop to 17-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play. With tonight's victory, the Brewers clinch the third seed in the Liberty League Championship for the first time since 2018 and will host a First Round matchup on Tuesday, November 10.
First Set
- Union scored the first seven points of the match, led by two aces from Allie Kronenberg and two kills from Kayla Martinez Cartagena.
- VC got back within 11-5 on two kills from Kaplan and a winner from first year Gina O'Connell.
- The lead was trimmed to 14-9 on consecutive winners from senior Maura McAusland and sophomore Elena Feuer.
- Union expanded its lead to 18-10 on a winner from Martinez Cartagena and pushed it to 22-14 on an ace from Madisen Bailey.
- Vassar got it within seven points but three more kills from Martinez Cartagena clinched the opening set victory.
Second Set
- Vassar held a 4-1 lead to begin the second set on two winners from junior Erin Lovett before Union evened the set at four.
- The Brewers went back ahead 8-6 on a block from senior Francesca Medrano and O'Connell until a seven point run by the Garnet Chargers, led by three kills from Kronenberg, put Union ahead 14-9.
- The lead ballooned to 19-10 on an ace from Sydney Scanlon but Vassar battled back within 22-16 on two kills from O'Connell, a kill from Kaplan and an ace from McAusland.
- Vassar cut the lead to 24-19 after a kill from Huang and a Kaplan ace but a winner from Georgia Pinciaro gave Union a second set win.
Third Set
- The lead traded sides to begin the third set as Vassar pulled ahead 10-7 after a kill apiece from Medrano, Feuer, Lovett and McAusland.
- Following a block from Kronenberg and McCarron to cut the lead to 12-9, Vassar scored the next six points, led by two kills from Kaplan and an ace from Huang, to score a 18-9 lead.
- Vanessa Morgan's ace brought the Garnet Chargers within 20-14 until two Kaplan kills pushed the lead to 23-15.
- Vassar closed the set with a 25-16 victory, capped by a Feuer kill.
Fourth Set
- VC earned a 6-2 lead in the fourth set behind blocks from Kaplan and Feuer along with two Kaplan kills and a Lovett winner.
- Two kills from Pinciaro and one winner from Johanna Melhorn reduced the lead to 7-6 until VC expanded its lead to 12-6 following a kill each from McAusland, O'Connell and Kaplan.
- Union came all the way back to tie the set at 14 on a winner from Shea Ringel before VC regained the lead and pushed it to 22-16 following three kills from McAusland and two winners from Kaplan.
- The Garnet Chargers trimmed the deficit to 22-19 on a Kronenberg kill but Vassar used two more McAusland kills to extend the match to a deciding fifth set.
Fifth Set
- Vassar scored the first two points of the set, led by a Lovett kill, before Union scored four of the next five to go ahead 5-3 on a Morgan ace.
- The Brewers evened the set at six on a McAusland kill and pulled ahead 7-6 on a block from Feuer and McAusland.
- Kronenberg's kill put Union back ahead 8-7 before a block from Medrano and Feuer evened the set at eight.
- Following a McCarron kill to go ahead 9-8, Vassar collected four straight points behind a kill each from McAusland and Kaplan and a block from Feuer and Lovett.
- Melody Herrin buried a kill to cut the deficit to 12-10 but two Union attack errors and Kaplan's 21st kill of the match sent Vassar to a reverse sweep victory to clinch the third seed in the conference tournament.
For The Brewers
- Kaplan matched her season-high in kills with 21, moving into 10th all-time in career kills, along with two aces, two solo blocks and five digs.
- McAusland recorded 15 kills, three blocks, 11 digs and an ace while Lovett notched 11 kills, four blocks and five digs.
- Medrano tallied 41 assists (now ranking seventh all-time in career assists), 18 digs, two kills and three blocks along with Huang registering a career-high 32 digs and five assists.
- Feuer posted five kills and eight blocks while O'Connell chipped in four kills and four blocks.
For The Garnet Chargers
- Martinez Cartagena garnered 15 kills, two aces, 12 digs and three blocks while Pinciaro totaled 13 kills.
- Kronenberg recorded 36 assists, six kills, two blocks and 22 digs along with Melhorn posting seven winners.
- McCarron tallied six kills and six blocks while Morgan added three aces and 13 digs.
Up Next
- Vassar will play its Liberty League finale at home on Saturday afternoon against Skidmore at 1:00 p.m.
- Union finishes its home schedule against St. Lawrence and Springfield on Saturday.
