PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The top-seeded St. John Fisher College women's volleyball team advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game after dispatching of fifth-seeded Alfred University on Thursday night, 3-1, in the semifinal round inside Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Bobby Wanzer Court.  With the win, Fisher, which is receiving votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, remained unbeaten at 8-0 while the Saxons' season came to a close at 5-6.

Prior to the opening serve, Fisher took a moment to honor its three seniors who have given so much to the program over the last four seasons including Rebecca Hay, Molly Taylor and Alex Buhrle.

All-American Alea Steigerwald finished with 14 kills and a .333 hitting percentage over the four-set victory and added a team-leading 12 digs.  Gracie Jacob pounded down nine kills and had 11 digs of her own while Delayne Young added eight kills at the net.  Lindsey DeBonis chipped in with seven kills and four aces while Sydney French contributed six kills, four aces and five digs.

Fisher mixed in two setters over the four sets with Hay handing out 19 assists in the win.  Katie Leaty finished with 22 assists on the night and added 10 digs.

After cruising to a 25-17 win in the opening frame, Fisher jumped out to a 4-1 edge to begin the second set following a kill from Jacob and an ace from DeBonis.

As the set continued, Alfred would pull to within one, 9-8, but Fisher scored three of the next four points including a kill from French to open up a 12-9 advantage.

The lead would eventually grow to five after an attacking error by Alfred before a 3-0 run by the Cardinals made it 21-14 in favor of the home team.  Alfred would pull to within five points, but was never able to generate any moment as a kill from Steigerwald and an error at the net by the Saxons gave Fisher a two-set cushion.

Trailing 2-0, Alfred found its groove in the third set and used a late 5-0 run to hold a 23-16 margin.  Fisher tried to rally late in the frame and came within four points, but a kill at the pins gave Alfred set point heading to the fourth.

Needing to win just one more set to punch its ticket to its second consecutive Empire 8 finale, Fisher hammered home six kills early in the fourth including two from Jacob to forge an 8-7 lead. 

Down by a point, Alfred regrouped and eventually regained the lead, 12-11, after stringing together three unanswered points, but the Cardinals proved to be too much at the service line with Kara Balmer serving Fisher to an 8-0 run fueled by six kills – three of which came from Steigerwald to make it 21-13.

The Saxons called a timeout to slow Fisher's momentum, but the damage had been done with the Cardinals clubbing four kills over their final four points to close out the set, 25-17.

Up next, Fisher will look to claim its second Empire 8 Championship in the last two seasons as the Cardinals host third-seeded Nazareth College at 2 p.m. on Sunday on Bobby Wanzer Court.