SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's volleyball team clinched its spot in the upcoming Liberty League Tournament with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-18) victory over St. Lawrence University on Saturday afternoon at Viniar Athletic Center.
The win moves Union (16-7, 4-3 Liberty League) into fourth place in the conference standings with one match remaining, a half-game ahead of Rochester Institute of Technology. The Garnet Chargers can finish no higher than fourth in the standings and can finish either fourth, fifth or sixth based on next weekend's results.
Before the match, Union recognized senior
Farah Elgala on her Senior Day. The four-year player picked up three kills, two blocks, one ace and one dig on the afternoon.
First-year
Georgia Pinciaro led the Garnet Chargers with 13 kills, followed by junior
Shannon McGrath with 10 kills on .455 hitting and a match-high 16 digs. First-year
Allie Kronenberg led the team with 31 assists to go with five digs, two blocks and five kills on six attempts in a solid all-around effort, while sophomore
Shelby McKim hit .714 with five kills on seven swings and a team-best three blocks.
Pinciaro put down five kills to lead all players in the opening set, as the home team used an 8-1 run to overcome a slow start and take its first lead at 11-7. The Saints came back to lead 18-17, but Union closed with eight of the final 10 points, punctuated by an Elgala ace to close out the first frame.
Union held a slight 13-12 lead midway through the second stanza before asserting itself with a 10-0 run. Pinciaro started the run with a kill followed by nine straight points on the serve of sophomore
Graciela Escobar, with McGrath chipping in two kills and a block to lead the charge.
The Garnet Chargers did not take their first lead of the third set until the midway point, when a McGrath kill and ace bumped the home team ahead 14-12. After three straight SLU points, Union came back with five in a row to regain the lead and then closed out with a 6-1 run soon after to complete the sweep.
Union will return to action on Wednesday with a non-conference match at Manhattanville University beginning at 7 p.m.
