The St. John Fisher College volleyball team opened its Empire 8 play at the first of the conference crossovers being held at R.I.T this weekend.

In round one action, Fisher cruised to a 3-0 win over Utica College.  The Cardinals allowed the Pioneers only 23 points in three games as they recorded 25-6, 25-8, and 25-9 wins. Becca Smith and Rachael Kline led the Cardinals with 13 kills each, while Amy Street tallied 32 assists in the win.  Liz Patrone and newcomer Andrea Gillespie each recorded five digs.

The Cardinals went on to fall 3-1 to powerhouse Stevens in the nightcap.  Stevens, the three-time defending Empire 8 champion, lost its first match since joining the conference in 2007 this morning to Elmira.  Fisher fell 22-25 in the first game before turning around to take the second game 25-15.  The Ducks picked it back up, winning the third game 25-12 and winning the fourth 25-17.

Street led the Cardinals with 24 assists and 12 digs in the loss.  Smith chipped in with a team-best 12 kills, while Kelsey Osborne tallied 12 digs. 

Play will continue beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday and will include matches against Nazareth (7-9) at 10 a.m. and Alfred (5-7) at 3 p.m. at R.I.T.'s Clark Gym. 

Round two of the Empire 8 Crossover will be held at Ithaca College in October.

The schedule is up and results will be updated immediately after the matches on the tournament website.