SCHENECTADY, NY – Senior setter Alyssa Torpy (West Henrietta, NY) had 45 assists and senior outside hitter Amy Bertrando (Westfield, NY) had 17 kills as Fredonia State won 3-2 over #25 Stevens in a semifinal match of the 2008 NCAA Division III Union Regionals at the Viniar Athletic Center Thursday. Fredonia won by scores of 29-27, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20 and 15-6.
Fredonia improved to 29-9 with a seventh straight victory, and avenged a 3-0 loss to Stevens on October 31 at the Vassar Invitational. The Ducks, 33-5, had a 25 match winning streak snapped, suffering their first loss since September 24. Senior outside hitter Leanne Maloney (West Seneca, NY) had 26 digs and 10 kills and sophomore opposite Jenna Tatu (Tonawanda, NY) had 11 kills for the Blue Devils.
Fredonia will face the winner of tonight’s other regional semifinal match between New Paltz and Union. The regional championship match is Saturday at 7 p.m.
Senior outside hitter Melanie Volk (Thompsons Station, TN) had a match high 20 kills and 17 digs in her final career match for the Ducks. Senior setter/defensive specialist Melissa Rhode (New Orleans, LA) added 31 digs and 26 assists with eight kills, while sopohomore outside hitter Sarah Byrne (Manlius, NY) recorded 13 kills and eight digs.
The first match featured 12 ties, including 9-9 before the Ducks went on an 8-2 run for a 17-11 lead. But the Blue Devils went on an 8-2 run of their own to tie it at 19. At 27-27, Torpy produced a kill and a service ace by Leanne Maloney was the set point in the 29-27 win. The second set also was close throughout, with the largest lead at four for Stevens (13-9). With the match tied at 23-23, Rhode and Gardner posted kills for the 25-23 Stevens win. Set three featured a four point victory for Fredonia, which led by as many as four three times, including with the 25-21 final. Fredonia evened the match with a 25-20 win in set four. The squads were tied at 14-14 but a kill by Chesea Sinn (Hamburg, NY) gave the Blue Devils the lead for good at 15-14 en route to the victory. Set five was knotted at 2-2 before the Blue Devils went on a 3-0 run for a 5-2 lead. Up 8-5, the Blue Devils scored three straight for a six point advantage at 11-5, and after a kill by Volk made it 11-6, the Maloney and Tatu kills were followed by setting and attack errors that produced four straight Fredonia points for the match triumph.
