UTICA, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher women's volleyball team swept Utica University, 3-0, on Saturday to extend its winning streak to 14 matches and complete an undefeated Empire 8 regular season. The Cardinals secured the No. 1 seed in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which begins Nov. 7 at the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym in Pittsford, New York. Fisher improves to 21-6 overall and 11-0 in Empire 8 play, while the Pioneers fall to 9-18 overall and 5-6 in conference play.
How It Happened
The opening set featured back-and-forth play, with the score tied at 4-4 before Fisher pulled ahead with a 5-2 run. Junior outside hitter Lydia Fraser recorded two kills during the stretch to give the Cardinals a three-point advantage. Later, with Fisher leading 18-13, the Cardinals used a 6-1 run, highlighted by two kills from senior outside hitter Kaylene Noble. Utica attempted to rally with four consecutive points, but Fisher held on for a 25-18 set victory. Noble led the Cardinals with seven kills, while Fraser added four.
The second set remained competitive, with neither team able to establish a significant advantage. Utica rallied from a 24-22 deficit with back-to-back kills to tie the score at 24-24. Fisher responded with two consecutive kills from Noble to secure a 26-24 victory and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Noble again led the Cardinals with seven kills, while senior middle blocker Ana Gutman contributed five.
Fisher took control early in the third set, building a 9-3 lead behind three kills from sophomore outside hitter Kalyna Dannenberg. The Cardinals continued to pull away, using a 10-2 run to extend their advantage to 24-13. Dannenberg and Fraser each recorded two kills during the stretch. Fisher closed out the set, 25-14, to complete the sweep.
Match Notes
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Noble recorded 16 kills while hitting .552, her highest hitting percentage of the season in a match with more than 10 attempts.
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Junior setter Zofia Keogh dished out 39 assists.
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Dannenberg finished with 14 kills and four service aces, marking her second match this season with at least four aces.
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Fisher completed the Empire 8 regular season undefeated at 11-0.
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The Cardinals extended their winning streak to 14 matches.
Up Next
The No. 1-seeded Cardinals will host No. 8 SUNY Brockport in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament Quarterfinal on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Manning & Napier Varsity Gym in Pittsford, N.Y. Stay tuned to SJFAthletics.com for the match time.
