SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's volleyball team hit .330 as a team and put down 125 kills in eight sets as the Dutchwomen defeated Saint Michael's College and Ramapo College by the same 3-1 score on day two of the Union Invitational on Saturday at the Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Union (4-4) picked up its first two-match sweep of the season with some excellent offensive performances. Sophomore Gillian Gore was named to the All-Tournament Team after combining for 35 kills and 38 digs in the two matches, while classmate Steph Libonati continued her deadly efficient hitting by putting down 25 kills with one error on 36 attempts (.667).
 
Union 3, Saint Michael's 1 (25-11, 25-15, 28-30, 25-7)
 
Union put down 67 kills in the first match of the day, marking the most by a Union side since recording 71 in a five-set win over SUNY Oswego on September 5, 2015 and the most in a four-set match since at least 2007.
 
Gore led the Dutchwomen with 16 kills and 21 digs, both match-high totals, to go with four assists and four service aces. Libonati hit .667 with 14 kills on 21 errorless attacks, while fellow sophomore Katie Moss chipped in with 11 kills on .333 hitting.
 
Union hit .500 in the opening stanza, putting down 17 kills on just 26 attempts. The kill total rose in the second frame, when 19 of the team's 25 points came via the kill.
 
Saint Michael's did not go quietly in the third set despite falling behind 10-2 early, rallying to take the lead and eventually building up a 24-21 advantage. Union fought off five set points and eventually earned a pair of match points at 27-26 and 28-27, but the Purple Knights scored the final three points to force a fourth set.
 
But Union quickly halted any thoughts of a St. Mike's comeback, scoring nine straight points and 13 of the first 14 to open up an insurmountable advantage in the fourth and final frame.
 
Union 3, Ramapo 1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-19, 25-13)
 
Union put together another excellent hitting performance in its second match of the day, hitting .344 with 56 kills in another four-set win.
 
Gore again led three Dutchwomen in double figures with a match-high 19 kills to go with 17 digs, while sophomore Lara Atalay had the match's only double-double with 12 kills and a match-best 19 digs. Libonati added 11 kills on 15 attempts (.667 hitting). Moss added a match-best four blocks and classmate Sage Shimamoto recorded a team-best 26 assists as well.
 
After the two teams split the opening two frames, Union upped the offensive attack in the third and fourth stanzas. The Dutchwomen hit .433 with 15 kills and two errors in the third set, and then made only one error on 23 attempts with 16 kills (.652) in the fourth. Union started the fourth set by putting down its first nine attempts for kills, helping to close out the match.
 
Union will return to the Viniar Athletic Center next weekend for another multi-court event, as the team hosts the Union Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The weekend starts with the Dutchwomen taking on Plattsburgh State University and Wentworth Institute of Technology on Friday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively.