SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Union College volleyball junior
Allie Kronenberg recorded her 2,000th career set during a sweep of Alfred State on Saturday inside Viniar Athletic Center. The Garnet Chargers also defeated SUNY Oneonta in straight sets to complete their undefeated weekend in the Union/Russell Sage Crosstown Challenge.
Kronenberg, a Lexington Catholic product from Kentucky, is the seventh player in program history to reach the milestone. After totaling 52 across six sets on Saturday, she sits 325 assists behind Sage Shimamoto '20 for sixth all-time at Union.
Union 3, Alfred State 0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17)
The Garnet Chargers coasted to a first-set victory against the Pioneers (5-3), never allowing more than 18 points in a set.
Union frustrated Alfred State with 14 blocks, led by senior Erin Stevens' five block assists.
First-year Vanessa Morgan closed out the first set at the service line, seeing juniors Adrienne Long and Georgia Pinciaro record kills and Long and first-year Johanna Melhorn team up for a block during a set-ending three-point rally.
Union only made two attack errors in the second, and four Garnet Chargers tallied two kills each to secure Union's position in the driver's seat.
Melhorn stepped up in the third, leading the way with four kills. Kronenberg helped set Union up for success in the final frame, serving for the first six points as Union built a 5-0 lead. She also tied with first-year Vanessa Morgan for the team lead in digs with 10. Senior Graciela Escobar benefited her team on the other side of the serve, successfully receiving 12 of the 13 serves that came her way.
Union 3, SUNY Oneonta 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-12)
After SUNY Oneonta (2-7) fell in the middle match to the Pioneers, it met a similar fate against Union. The Garnet Chargers swept the Red Dragons behind nine kills from junior Kayla Martinez Cartagena and 27 more assists from Kronenberg.
Kronenberg also landed all three of her swings for kills in the match, joining senior Maddie McCarron as the two Garnet Chargers with multiple kills and no errors in the match. Kronenberg got in on four blocks, landed a pair of service aces, and came up with seven digs.
Despite allowing 20 points in a set for the first time on the day, Union put together one of its best three sets of the season so far. The Garnet Chargers hit over .300 for the second time in the Crosstown Challenge and also had a season-high nine service aces.
Sophomore Shea Ringel was responsible for five of them, marking a career-high and giving her the team-lead in aces with 10 on the season.
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Ringel's dominance at the service line came at a perfect time for Union as the Red Dragons pulled ahead 13-12 in the second. Beginning with a kill from Martinez Cartagena, Union ripped off nine straight points with Ringel serving for eight of them. She had four service aces during the rally as Union pulled ahead 21-13.
The Garnet Chargers hit .545 in a dominant third set, recording 15 kills on 22 attempts.
Following a second straight sweep. Union improved to 7-0 for the first time since 2015. Union travels to Waltham, Mass. for the Brandeis New England beginning Friday, Sept. 18.
