Volleyball drops pair to Skidmore
Saratoga Springs, NY- Less than a day after going to Framingham State and besting the defending league champs in four sets, the MCLA Volleyball team hit the road again today taking on Skidmore College at the Williamson Sports Center. The Thoroughbreds swept the nonconference doubleheader winning the first match in four sets and the second in straight sets. With the wins Skidmore improves to 4-10 while MCLA falls to 9-5.
Skidmore 3 MCLA 1
MCLA had leads as large as six in the 1st set and would not trail until Skidmore used a 4-point run to catch the visitors and close out the set 25-23.
It would be Skidmore that led for most of the 2nd set before MCLA would pull even at 22-22. The Thoroughbreds would win the next point but a Skidmore attack error and two kills by Trailblazer sophomore Chloie Garber (Eagle River, AK) would give MCLA the set 25-23 to pull even in the match.
Unfortunately for the Trailblazers that would be the only set they would be able to capture in the match and on the day. Skidmore would take the 3rd and 4th sets by identical 25-18 scores and take the opening match 3 sets to 1.
Garber would lead the Trailblazers with 13 kills and 20 digs. Classmate Ellie Walter-Goodspeed (Auburn, WA) would finish with 19 digs. First year Shannon O'Brien (Unionville, CT) had a match-high 30 assists and 13 digs.
Senior Chelsea Winegar (Basking Ridge, NJ) would lead Skidmore with 15 kills and 11 digs. Junior Jo Blanco (Fairfield, CT) would have a match-high 21 digs while classmate Noa Berger (Fairfield, CT) finished with 22 assists.
Skidmore 3 MCLA 0
Down 11-9 the Thoroughbreds would use a 4-point run to jump ahead and not look back as they would begin the second match off by winning their third consecutive set by a 25-18 score.
After a 4-point run by MCLA to close the 2nd set to within one point at 11-10, Skidmore would go on an impressive 14-1 run, including the final 9 points to easily take the frame 25-11 and go up 2-0 in the match.
The 3rd set was nip and tuck with neither squad able to separate themselves. The Thoroughbreds would have to stave off a match point at 24-23 before a kill by freshman Maya Stolarz (New York, NY) would give Skidmore the set 26-24 and the match 3-0.
Winegar (12 kills), Berger (13 assists) and senior Elizabeth Miller (Hyde Park, NY) with 17 digs led the way for the Thoroughbreds.
Garber (8 kills and 9 digs), Walter-Goodspeed (17 digs) and O'Brien (20 assists) led the Trailblazers.
Skidmore returns to action next Friday at 6pm as it hosts Liberty League rival Ithaca College. MCLA returns home on Wednesday at 6:30pm for a nonconference match with Albertus Magnus.