SUNYIT 3, Utica 0 - Box Score

Marcy, N.Y. (9/6/2011) – The Utica College women's volleyball team lost its season opener at cross-town rival SUNYIT 3-0 Tuesday afternoon at the Campus Center Gymnasium. The Pioneers (0-1) will turn right back around and take on Cazenovia College Wednesday night in their 2011 home opener at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The Wildcats (0-5) are also in the hunt for their first victory of the season after falling to Hartwick College, 3-1, on Tuesday night.

The Pioneers lost game one 25-16, and they were able to muster 17 points in game two but fell short, 25-17. The Wildcats earned a 25-10 victory in game three to complete the evening sweep.

Freshman Alyssa Nicotera (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), an outside hitter from nearby New York Mills and last year's Section III Class D Player of the Year, led the way for the Pioneers with five kills, nine digs and one service ace. Six different players recorded at least two kills in the contest for UC. Senior Aundrea Dorie (Mount Markham, NY /Mount Markham) recorded three kills and four digs, while sophomore Leah Kazalski (Greene, NY/Greene) registered a team-best 15 kills.

Junior Krisztina Welch tallied a team-high nine assists, while junior setter Mimi O'Hara (Highland Falls, NY/James I. O'Neill) posted eight assist of her own. Freshman Hayley Strife (Lowville, NY/Lowville) and Ashley Jones (Charlton, NY/Galway) each recorded three kills apiece in their first collegiate game, while sophomore Liz Sacco (Franklin, Mass. /Franklin) registered two kills for UC.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Harrington led the way for SUNYIT with 15 kills, while sophomore Juleah Vedder struck down ten of her own. Defensively, junior Jessica Sass came up with 16 digs for SUNYIT, while Vedder kept ten alive.

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