PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University women's volleyball team swept crosstown rival Nazareth in the Empire 8 title match on Saturday afternoon at Kidera Gymnasium to secure the conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
The No. 2-seeded Cardinals (21-8) improved to 4-0 in Empire 8 championship matches against top-seeded Nazareth (17-14). They have won five conference titles in program history, all of them in the last six years.
Fisher will learn its first-round opponent and host site on Monday for the program's sixth-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Gutman Named Tournament MVP
The Empire 8 named sophomore middle blocker Ana Gutman tournament MVP. Gutman had 38 kills and eight blocks over three tournament contests.
Gutman hit well over .400 in each match. She registered a .619 mark in a sweep of SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday.
Match Notes
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The Cardinals won the first set 25-23, the second set 25-16 and the third 25-20. It was their second sweep of Nazareth in an E8 championship match in the last four years.
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Saturday's contest marked the Cardinals' first-ever Empire 8 championship match on the road. They had won all four of their conference titles on their home floor.
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The Cardinals avenged their 3-1 regular-season loss to Nazareth. The Golden Flyers were one of two Empire 8 teams to beat Fisher this season (Brockport being the other).
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The Cardinals have won nine matches in a row since that loss.
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Cardinals head coach Kelly Greapentrog has led the program to all five of its Empire 8 titles and four of its five NCAA Tournament appearances.
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Greapentrog has seven 20-plus win seasons since 2009.
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Sophomore outside hitter Kaylene Noble led the Cardinals with 14 kills and hit .346 in the match.
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Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Lydia Fraser amassed 12 kills and hit .360.
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Gutman, a first-team All-Empire 8 pick, registered a team-high .450 hitting percentage. She had 11 kills.
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Gutman, a first-team All-Empire 8 selection, has hit .400 or better in 15 of Fisher's 29 matches this season. She leads the Empire 8 in hitting percentage (.395).
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Gutman also had four blocks. She leads the Cardinals with 57 on the season.
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The Cardinals had 42 kills to Nazareth's 27. They hit .299 as a team.
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Junior setter Reilly Morrow had a match-high 28 assists.
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Noble had eight digs, while Morrow and junior libero Kiera Hartpence had seven apiece.
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Junior Isabella Mahar led Fisher with two service aces.
Up Next
The Cardinals will watch the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Selection Show as a team at 1 p.m. on Monday.