MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Women's Volleyball Team (24-1, 8-0 NEAC) continued to win on Wednesday night, sweeping the Utica Pioneers 3-0.
The Wildcats and Utica were neck-and-neck through ten points, and then the home team opened it up, taking a 17-11 lead and forcing a Utica timeout.
Out of the play stoppage the pioneers took the next two rallies to make it 17-13, then after a point from SUNYIT the visitors rattled off five-in-a-row to tie the score at 18-18.
With the Wildcats seemingly on the ropes, the Pioneers made a costly unforced error on an attack to give SUNYIT a 19-18 lead. From there Emma Larson (Miller Place, N.Y. / Miller Place) would put together a nice stretch of serving to help the Wildcats to a 22-18 lead and force another Utica timeout. Utica again would score a point coming out of the timeout, but the Wildcats were able to hang on for a 25-19 win.
In the second set SUNYIT again raced out in front, sprinting to a 4-0 lead behind a number of great plays, including a spectacular diving dig by Erika Reakes (Central Square, N.Y. / Paul V. Moore) that kept a long rally alive.
Again the Pioneers clawed back, tying it at 5-5 on a well-placed touch shot. Down just 9-8 later in the set, however, the Pioneers would have to watch as SUNYIT again pulled away in the middle of the set, going on an 8-2 run to take a 17-10 lead and force another Utica timeout.
Unlike the first game, the Pioneers were unable to mount a comeback in the second game, as SUNYIT went on to take the second set by a commanding 25-13 score.
The Wildcats would go on to take the final set 25-18, as Hanne Saarinen (Lempaala, Finland / Tampereen Lyseon Lukio) led the Wildcats with 15 kills on 29 attempts to no errors, good for an outstanding .517 hitting percentage. Kaitlyn Harrington (Central Square, N.Y. / Paul V. Moore) was next with 10 kills on 26 attempts, while Erika Reakes continued her stellar play on the defensive end with a game-high 16 digs.
With the win the Wildcats stretch their streak to 24-in-a-row. The ladies will now have almost a full-week off before hosting Hamilton College on Tuesday, October 15th. Match time is set for 7:00 pm, and will take place as part of the team's annual Dig Pink night in support of Breast Cancer Research and Awareness. To help the team reach their fundraising goal for the event, visit their page on the Side Out Foundation website.