SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College volleyball team took a 2-0 and survived Vassar's comeback to win in five sets (25-22, 25-22, 21-25, 18-25, 15-11) in a Liberty League First Round match on Tuesday evening at the Williamson Sports Center.
- The victory marks Skidmore's first postseason win since 2012.
- The Thoroughbreds advance to the semifinals, where they will challenge top seed and nationally 15th-ranked Ithaca on Friday afternoon.
- Skidmore (16-9) never trailed in the decisive fifth set. Tied at two, the Thoroughbreds scored 4-of-5 to take a 6-3 lead. The Brewers pulled to within one by converting two out of the next three points, but three straight for Skidmore on kills from three different players made it 10-6.
- Two points later, Jazlin Chen put down the last of her 12 kills to kick off three Thoroughbred points in a row supplemented by a Marlowe McIntyre ace and a Katy O'Connell kill. It pulled Skidmore to within two of the win.
- Vassar, again, did not go away quietly. The Brewers got two Maura McAusland kills, and another from Holland Kaplan, but a Vassar service error in the middle of the spurt brought up match point.
- A Catriona Hoelperl push, her sixth kill of the night, ended the match for Skidmore. It matched a career high for the setter, who also finished with 43 assists, 14 digs, a block, and an ace.
- Chen and Maya Stolarz led Skidmore offensively with 12 kills apiece. Stolarz tallied five blocks, while Chen had four.
- Skidmore had a slight 10-9 edge in blocks.
- Madison Manning registered 11 kills to go with seven digs, a pair of blocks, and two aces.
- O'Connell had six blocks, including Skidmore's only solo stuff. She also had nine kills and two aces.
- Maura McAusland had a 20-20 performance for the Brewers. She had 24 kills and 21 digs.
- Erin Lovett finished with 15 kills and four blocks, while Francesca Medrano registered 48 assists with 14 digs.
- In the first set, after a quick 8-2 Skidmore start, the visitors responded with five straight en route to a 12-5 run to take the lead. Skidmore battled back eventually tying the game at 17 apiece to jumpstart a five-point scoring run to take a 21-17 lead. The Brewers answered with a 5-1 run to tie it again before Skidmore, on the strength of a Chloe Heitman ace and kill, scored three in a row to take the 1-0 lead.
- Vassar jumped out the early lead in set two, and eventually led 16-10, when a 12-6 Skidmore spurt got it tied. The Thoroughbreds scored the set's final five points to complete the comeback and gain the commanding 2-0 lead.
- The Brewers had another big lead, 15-9, in set three. Skidmore rallied to cut the deficit to one, 19-18, before Vassar flipped the script with the period's final six points.
- Set four went back-and-forth until Vassar scored 4-of-5 to get to set point and tie the match two points later on a Thoroughbred error.
UP NEXT
Skidmore moves on to the semifinals, where it will play final four host and top-seeded Ithaca College on Friday at 4 p.m. The winners (other semi: William Smith/Union) will play for the title on Saturday.