SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's volleyball team started off its home slate with a pair of straight-set victories, defeating Suffolk University and SUNY Oswego on day one of the Union/Russell Sage Crosstown Challenge on Friday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Junior Shannon McGrath led Union (6-2) with 27 kills on .363 hitting, while sophomore Maddie McCarron added 15 kills on .428 hitting and 10 blocks. Junior Georgia Pool registered a team-best 24 digs on the evening and first-year Allie Kronenberg dished out 59 assists in six sets.
 
Union 3, Suffolk 0 (25-19, 25-10, 25-22)
McGrath led all players with 13 kills and McCarron chipped in five kills and a match-high six blocks as Union dealt Suffolk its first loss of the season in straight sets.
 
Six players had at least three kills in a well-balanced effort for the Garnet Chargers, with McGrath leading the way with .346 hitting and coming one dig short of a double-double. Pool and first-year Kayla Martinez Cartagena led the squad with 10 digs apiece, while Kronenberg recorded a match-best 28 assists.
 
Three aces and a block helped the home team jump out to an early 6-2 lead in the opening set before using a 6-0 run later in the frame to open up a 16-9 advantage thanks to a pair of aces and a kill from sophomore Shelby McKim, and the lead grew to as many as nine in the set. 
 
Union started strong again in the second stanza with six straight points and then followed up with a 14-2 run to open up its largest lead at 21-6. The team hit a blistering .379 in the middle set with 14 kills on 29 attempts, hitting so well as to set off the fire alarm at 23-9 of the set, causing a brief delay as the building was temporarily evacuated.
 
The Garnet Chargers closed out the match in straight sets, but had to work for it in the final frame. With the set tied at 18, McCarron recorded a block on the team's next five points to put the home team in front, and a kill by Martinez Cartagena and a Suffolk error finished off the sweep.
 
Union 3, SUNY Oswego 0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-21)
 
Union hit .333 in the second match of the day, putting down 45 kills on the way to a sweep of Oswego. McGrath put down a match-high 14 kills and McCarron had another excellent effort, hitting .643 with 10 kills to go with four blocks. First-year Georgia Pinciaro chipped in nine kills and Kronenberg came one dig short of a double-double with 31 assists and nine digs.
 
The Lakers started well and held a lead for the opening half of the first set, holding a 13-10 advantage before Union took control with a 10-1 run. The Garnet Chargers used another big run to assume the advantage in the second stanza, outscoring Oswego 15-2 to turn a 7-6 lead into a commanding 22-8 lead.
 
Union did not need any huge runs to finish off the sweep, as the team did not score more than three straight points but still managed to hold off the Lakers. McGrath had a team-best six kills in the final frame, followed by Pinciaro with five.
 
Union will look to keep the momentum going tomorrow, as the team takes on Williams College at 11 a.m. and SUNY Oneonta at 3 p.m. on day two of the Crosstown Challenge at Viniar Athletic Center.