SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Five players recorded at least nine kills as the Union College women's volleyball team used a total team effort to knock off Skidmore College by a 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 26-24) score in the team's Liberty League opener on Saturday afternoon at the Williamson Sports Center.
 
Junior Maddie McCarron returned to the lineup and made a huge impact on both sides of the net, putting down a team-leading 12 kills on .423 hitting while also recording a career-high 10 blocks (two solo), the most by a Union player in almost exactly a decade since Lauren Woods '16 had 11 against Penn State-Behrend on October 10, 2015.
 
Senior Shannon McGrath and first-year Shea Ringel both reached double figures with 10 kills, woth McGrath adding 16 digs for a double-double of her own. Sophomores Melody Herrin and Georgia Pinciaro chipped in nine kills apiece as well as part of a team effort at the net. Senior Georgia Pool recorded a team-leading 22 digs and sophomore Allie Kronenberg had a double-double of her own with 41 assists and 12 digs.
 
The visitors started the opening set in a 6-1 run and never trailed, although Skidmore made it close at the end. Union led by as many as seven (12-5) at the midway point but the home team closed to within two late in the frame; however, kills by Herrin and McCarron sealed the set.
 
The second set went the way of the Thoroughbreds when, after the 12th tie of the set knotted the score at 20, Skidmore closed on a 6-3 run to even the match.
 
The pivotal third frame also featured 12 ties, as neither team could create any real separation. Tied at 22, back-to-back kills from McCarron and Kronenberg gave the Garnet Chargers its first set point, and Herrin put down her third kill of the frame to give Union a crucial 2-1 lead. Ringel led all players with five kills in the stanza.
 
Neither team could gain an advantage of more than two points for most of the fourth frame before Skidmore scored five in a row to take a 23-18 lead and seemingly lead the teams toward a fifth set. But Union closed on an 8-1 run, getting three kills and two blocks from McCarron as part of a 6-0 run. Tied at 24, kills from McGrath and Herrin finished off the set and the match.
 
Union will return home to Viniar Athletic Center next weekend for an important conference weekend, beginning on Friday at 7 p.m. against Rochester Institute of Technology.