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SCHENECTADY, NY – The Union College Volleyball Team had a successful start to the 2011 Interleague Challenge, pushing past SUNY Oneonta 3-2 and topping Kean University 3-1.
The Dutchwomen, now 13-9 on the season, were one of two teams to win both matches Friday night. After falling behind in the third set, the squad came from behind to beat Oneonta with scores of 23-25, 25-19, 22-25, 28-26, and 15-10. In the second match, Union won three in a row to dominate the Cougars with scores of 22-25, 25-19, 25-18 and 25-21.
After a back and forth match, Union rallied against the Red Dragons in the final moments of the fourth set to swing the momentum in their favor. The first set was evenly paced until Oneonta pulled away to take a lead of 19-23. However, the Dutchwomen scored four points in a row to cut the lead to one point at 23-24. It was not enough, though, as Oneonta pulled out the first win.
The atmosphere completely changed in the second set, as Union immediately went up to a 11-0 lead, scoring 10 points in a row off of sophomore Mackenzie Westfall's serve. Westfall ended the match with 49 assists against the Red Dragons. In true dramatic fashion, Oneonta struck back, scoring seven points in a row off of junior Kacy Boburka's serve. Half way through the set, it was anyone's game at a score of 15-12 in Union's favor. The Dutchwomen kept the lead with help from senior Eve Richards and junior Nora Wood, who had an excellent offensive game. Richards led the team with 19 kills.
Oneonta consistently had the lead in the third set, despite massive contributions from sophomore Casey Tepper. Tepper tallied 13 kills and 13 digs throughout the match. The fourth set, however, was completely unpredictable. The Red Dragons had all but pulled off a win, racking up a lead of 21-14. The Dutchwomen, who had different plans, slowly began gaining on their opponent. Richards secured momentum back for the squad with an explosive kill and powerful block, cutting the lead to 21-16. Senior Mary Foley, who had 10 kills, confused the Red Dragons with a sudden tip over the net to earn Union's 18th point.
From there, a combination of Oneonta mistakes and impressive offense from the Dutchwomen brought the set to 23-23. Richards and Boburka held their ground for each squad, aiding in the back and forth volleying. Finally, Union triumphed to force a deciding set, winning 28-26.
The Dutchwomen seemed to hold the power in the fifth and final set, quickly gaining a lead of 11-6. The Red Dragons started applying pressure, though, tallying four points in a row to cut the score to 11-9. Wood, Foley, and freshman Claire Kokoska helped fend Oneonta off, pushing Union to 14-10. After a thrilling match that had captured the attention of the entire Viniar Athletic Center, the winning point came from a commanding kill from none other than Richards.
The Dutchwomen came together to pull off a challenging win that was defined by team effort. Sophomore Marissa Vollmer had an outstanding defensive game, recording 29 digs, as did Kokoska who tallied three block assists and a block solo. Senior Ashleigh Baldwin also had an invaluable supportive match, helping her team pull off their 12th win of the season.
Union's night of comebacks was not finished. Against Kean, the Cougars took an early lead in the match, winning the first set 22-25. Outside hitters Kokoska and Tepper would help regain the Dutchwomen's focus, each tallying sixteen kills. The squad united and won three straight sets, earning their second win of the night. Richards had 14 kills, led the team with 13 digs and recorded five service aces. Tepper and sophomore Kelly Sheehan each recorded 11 digs, while Kokoska had four block assists. Westfall, earning 45 assists, brought her evening total to 94.
The Dutchwomen are back on the court in the Interleague Challenge tomorrow, Saturday October 8th. Union is set to take on Hartwick at 10:00 a.m. and Lasell at 2:00 p.m.
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