SCHENECTADY, NY – Senior outside hitter Leanne Maloney (West Seneca, NY) recorded 14 kills and 15 digs and senior setter Alyssa Torpy (West Henrietta, NY) dished out 56 assists to lead Fredonia State to a 3-2 victory over Haverford in the first match of the 2008 NCAA Division III Union Regionals at Union College’s Viniar Athletic Center Thursday afternoon. The Blue Devils, making their first ever appearance in the NCAA volleyball playoffs, were victorious by scores of 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25, and 15-11. Fredonia improved to 28-9 while the Fords finish their season with a record of 24-7.
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlin Erdmann (Randolph, NY) and freshman middle blocker Chelsea Senn (Hamburg, NY) each had 14 kills and senior outside hitter Amy Bertrando (Westfield, NY) finished with 13 kills for the Blue Devils, while Senn also added a match high seven blocks. Fredonia hit .217 for the match and freshman libero Sarah Zureck (Lancaster, NY) led all players with 30 digs. Erdmann finished with a .353 hitting mark.
Junior outside hitter Rebecca Salvo (La Canada, CA) led the Fords with 21 kills and 22 digs and hit .273. Freshman setter Kate Comey (McLean, VA), like Fredonia’s Torpy, had 56 assists and sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Cantwell (Newport News, VA) had 25 of the Fords’ 105 total digs. Junior middle hitter Rachel Salvo (La Canada, CA) added 20 digs with her 17 kills for Haverford.
In the first game, the contest was tied at 18-18 but a kill by Erdmann started a 3-0 run for a 21-18 Fredonia lead. The largest lead of the match came at 24-20 and 25-20, the final when Erdmann posted the game ending kill. Fredonia jumped out to a 12-6 lead but the Fords went on a 9-3 run to tie it at 15-15. But the Blue Devils took a 16-15 lead and never relinquished the lead. In the third set, the teams were tied at 7-7 but the Fords took a six point lead on a 13-7 run after a Cantwell kill. Maloney pulled the Blue Devils within four (22-18) on a kill but the Fords scored the last three for the win. In set four, Fredonia jumped out for a 6-0 advantage but a 10-4 run for the Fords tied the match at 10-10. The teams wee knotted at 15-15 but the Fords went on a 6-2 run for a 23-17 run before closing out a 25-21 triumph. Game five was locked at 7-7 but Senn had two kills late in the match in the four point win for Fredonia.
The Blue Devils advance to face the winner of the Stevens/Sage match.
This was Haveford’s third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.
