NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Union College women's volleyball team started off play at the SUNY New Paltz Invitational with a commanding 3-0 (25-8, 25-7, 25-23) victory over Mount St. Mary College in non-conference action on Friday night at the Hawk Center.
Union (3-2) used a team effort to start the weekend with a win, as no player recorded more than five kills on the evening. First-year
Shelby McKim and senior
Nikki Newcomer both put down five kills, while senior
Keara Page and first-years
Graciela Escobar and
Erin Stevens chipped in four apiece.
Union recorded 19 service aces for the match, led by six from Escobar and five from classmate
Sydney Scanlon. Senior
Meredith Blinn added four aces to go with 10 digs, matching sophomore
Georgia Pool for the team-high. Scanlon (11 assists) and junior
Morgan Napier (10 assists) split the setting duties on the night.
Union wasted no time taking control of the opening set, as Scanlon started off with a service ace and the Garnet Chargers scored 10 of the first 11 points, including seven straight points on the serve of Blinn. Leading by a 12-5 score, Union then closed on a 13-3 run. Blinn and Scanlon had three aces apiece in the frame, as Union put down 10 kills and conceded only two to take the early lead.
The Garnet Chargers again came out strong in the second stanza, starting off on a 7-1 run on Blinn's serve. Escobar served up four aces as part of an 11-1 stretch later in the set that gave Union a comfortable two-set advantage.
Union started the third set with seven of the first 10 points and held a 14-8 lead after another Escobar ace, but a 10-1 run put the Knights up by a 18-15 score. Facing adversity for the first time in the match, the Garnet Chargers came back with six straight points to regain the lead at 21-18 and, with the match later tied at 23, closed out the sweep thanks to a McKim kill and a McKim-Escobar block on match point.
Union put down 28 kills on the evening compared to just 15 for Mount St. Mary, while posting a 19-6 edge in aces and 55-40 advantage in digs.
Union will be back in action tomorrow for two matches, taking on host New Paltz at 10 a.m. and Russell Sage College at 2:30 p.m.
