SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's volleyball team continued its early-season winning ways with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22) victory over Utica University in non-conference action at Viniar Athletic Center on Wednesday night.
 
Junior Shannon McGrath led Union (8-3) with 14 kills and added 13 digs for her third double-double of the year, and first-year Allie Kronenberg notched her fourth double-double of the season with a match-high 29 assists and 13 digs. Junior Georgia Pool was all over the court with a match-best 25 digs and sophomore Erin Stevens put down eight kills.
 
The first set remained close at the onset, with neither team leading by more than two points until the Garnet Chargers broke off four straight to take a 19-15 lead. Five of Union's last six points then came off Utica attack errors, with Union's only earned point coming from a kill by senior Farah Elgala.
 
Union used a 10-2 run early in the second stanza to take the lead, and although Utica got back within a point at 10-9, the home team never relinquished its advantage. A 6-0 run that featured two kills each from McGrath and Kronenberg extended the lead to eight at 18-10. The lead ballooned to as many as 10 at 23-13 before the Garnet Chargers eventually closed out the second set on kills from Stevens and first-year Georgia Pinciaro.
 
The Pioneers made things difficult for Union in the third set, leading for most of the frame and holding a late 20-18 lead. However, four straight Utica errors – one the result of a big block from Pinciaro and Elgala – and a Stevens kill put Union back in control and two more Pioneer errors clinched the match for Union.
 
Union finished the match hitting .178 with 43 kills and 19 errors on 135 attempts, while Utica ended the evening at .031 with 30 kills and 26 errors on 131 attacks.
 
The Garnet Chargers will take the weekend off before returning to action next Wednesday with a 7 p.m. matchup against SUNY Delhi at Viniar Athletic Center.