Match Results and All-Tournament Team
SCHENECTADY, NY - - The Union College volleyball team split its matches on Saturday in the Union Invitational. After a dominating performance to defeat Oswego 3-1, the Dutchwomen fell in the second match to Cortland 3-0. On the season Union is now 5-5 and went 3-1 in the Union Invitational.
Casey Tepper started the day off right, serving to a 5-0 lead over Oswego in the first game. The five points included kills by
Eve Richards and
Mary Foley.
Erika VanValkenburg served next for the Dutchwomen, stringing six points in a row, including an ace and a
Bridget Little block to put the team up 12-2. Union took the game 25-16, withstanding a late surge by the Lakers after dominating at the net with several blocks to spoil the Oswego attempts.
Oswego led 14-9 in the second game when Union decided to take a timeout. After the timeout, the Dutchwomen cut the lead to three on three separate occasions but could not get over the hump. The Lakers never trailed and took the second game 25-17, knotting the match at one apiece.
Tepper once again started Union in the right way in the third game, spiking an emphatic kill to take the first point and set the tone. Union opened with an early 5-2 lead before being tied at five. A
Nora Wood spike gave the Dutchwomen back the lead at 6-5, which they continued to build the rest of the way. Senior
Jordan Remillard's spike gave Union a 15-9 advantage later in the game. Union put the game away with a
Mackenzie Westfall set to Richards who slammed a kill for a 25-17 win and the 2-1 advantage in the match.
After being tied at seven in the fourth and final game, Union ran off four straight points to force an Oswego timeout to regroup. The time did not prove to be the solution, as the Dutchwomen continued to dominate play. Union's lead was at 15-10 when the Dutchwomen ripped off a 10-1 run to end both the game and match, winning 25-11 and 3-1.
The second match of the day started with a 25-10 Cortland victory, but Union battled back in the second game. The Dutchwomen took an early 4-2 lead after two monster Red Dragon spikes were negated by Union blocks. The two teams battled back and forth in the opening stages of the game, with Cortland pulling away later to take a 25-15 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Remillard started the third game off with a monster kill, and Foley got the next point with a solo block. After trailing 10-6, Westfall entered the game and served Union to within a point at 10-9. The Red Dragons sustained small runs from this point on, taking the game 25-15 and the match 3-0.
Union will travel to face Middlebury College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
