Posted: Sep 13, 2024
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Suffolk volleyball fell on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision as Skidmore snuck past the Rams Friday night at the Viniar Athletic Center in the Crosstown Challenge.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Skidmore 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-2) | Skidmore (2-7)
SET ONE (25-16, SUFFOLK)
- Out of a 4-all time, Suffolk took a 9-5 advantage thanks to kills from Sami Shore, Chloe Clement, and Isabelle Huzar combined with one ace from Tatum Kalt.
- The blue-and-gold did not look back as it maintained the four-point margin and expanded it to as many as six twice, with the last coming at 21-15.
- Suffolk scored four of the final five points of the frame to take the set, 25-16.
SET TWO (25-23, SKIDMORE)
- Like the first set there were tied scores early on.
- Out of a 3-3 game, the Thoroughbreds jumped ahead to a 7-3 advantage.
- That gap grew to seven, 11-4.
- The Rams started to battle back and used a 10-1 spurt to take the lead, 17-15.
- Skidmore did not let up as it went on a run of its own to flip the script in its favor, 19-18.
- Despite its best efforts, Suffolk was unable to fully catchup and slipped down the stretch in the second stanza, 25-23.
SET THREE (25-21, SKIDMORE)
- The teams traded 4-0 runs to get the third frame going and let Suffolk go up 8-4.
- Things evened up at the midway point at 14-all.
- The Thoroughbreds pushed ahead thanks to a Suffolk service error and the Rams could not rally back the rest of the way to slip 25-21.
SET FOUR (25-19, SUFFOLK)
- The set started even once again at 4-4.
- Back-to-back Skidmore attack mishaps paid off for Suffolk.
- The blue-and-gold grabbed the lead, 5-4, and never let go of it, as the distance grew to a 14-9 cushion.
- See-saw action ensued the rest of the set, but thanks to its advantage Suffolk managed to claim the set, 25-19 and force a fifth frame.
SET FIVE (16-14, SKIDMORE)
- Jayla Martinez served an ace to put Suffolk on the board first.
- The score would lock nine times with the last at 10-10.
- Skidmore coupled two consecutive points on an ace from Catriona Hoelperl and a kill by Madison Manning.
- The Thoroughbreds set up set and match point, 14-12, but Suffolk battled back once more.
- A kill from Emily Norgrove was followed by bad set from Skidmore's Rudi Reyes that tied things at 14 and force a Thoroughbred timeout.
- Skidmore scored the point out of the huddle and Scott Blanchard used a timeout of his own to calm his squad down.
- The break did not help the blue-and-gold though as an attack error by Emma Rezendes' attack error allowed Skidmore to lock up the set and match.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- McKenna Keowen provided a 17-kill, 13-dig double-double with four aces and one assist.
- Shore supplied 11 kills on a .465 hitting percentage. She added one block, one dig and one handout.
- James registered nine kills, three digs and one block.
- Grace Cervenka added eight kills, six digs, four blocks and one helper.
- Jayla Martinez and Aislinn Lanigan set-up the attack with 28 assists and 17 assists, respectively.
- Morgan Kelsey notched 27 digs, six assists, and three aces.
NOTEWORTHY
- Suffolk and Skidmore met for the second time, first since Sept. 10, 2021.
- The Rams moved to 0-2 all-time against the Thoroughbreds.
- The Rams and Skidmore played more than three sets for the first time in program history.
- Suffolk played its first five-set game since the conference first round Nov. 7, 2023.
- Keowen had her third double-double of the year, 18th of her collegiate career.
- Shored matched a career-high 11 kills.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up action at the Crosstown Challenge tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 14 when it takes on Russel Sage at 11 a.m. and SUNY Oswego at 1:00 p.m. in Albany, New York.
