PURCHASE, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Women's Volleyball Team (5-6) built on its success of a week ago with another strong weekend performance. After going 2-1 at last weekend's Victory Promotions Invitational, the Wildcats continued their winning ways with a 3-1 record at Saturday and Sunday's SUNY Purchase Invitational.
SUNYIT started things off with a gutsy 5-set win over Rutgers-Newark on Friday evening. The Wildcats eked out a 26-24 win in the first set before dropping the next two to put themselves in a 2-1 hole. The team battled back, however, winning decisively in the final two sets, 25-18 and 15-8.
Emma Larson and Megan Will continued to shine as each recorded 16 kills in the match, but Shelby Kostal also stepped up with 9 kills and junior Morgan Eberley had a fantastic match, adding 22 digs to her 8 kills. Eberley's dig total was just 6 behind the team's standout libero, Erika Reakes, who finished with 28.
The Wildcats then dispatched with the host team in straight sets.
On Saturday morning the team found itself in another tight match, this time with SUNY-Farmingdale.
The Wildcats seemed to be in complete control through the first two sets, winning easily by scores of 25-15 and 25-17. Farmingdale then flipped the script in the 3rd set, upending SUNYIT 25-17 and setting up a wild fourth set, which Farmingdale won improbably, 31-29.
Reeling, SUNYIT somehow marshaled their resources and gritted through a 15-13 win in the 5th and deciding set.
SUNYIT then lost its only match of the weekend, 3-1 to eventual tournament champion Montclair State.
Emma Larson was named to the All-Tournament team for the Wildcats.
SUNYIT will return to action this weekend as they take on their first NEAC opponents of the year at the Wells College NEAC Crossover. The first match – against Bryn Athyn College – is scheduled to take place this Saturday at 2:00 pm.