Houghton, NY (Oct. 4, 2014) – The Utica College volleyball team dropped a pair of Empire 8 Conference games against Ithaca College and host Houghton College on Saturday afternoon. UC dropped its opener 3-0 against Ithaca, before falling 3-0 in the nightcap against Houghton.
Utica's
Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) finished the day with a team-best 14 kills over the course of two games.
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) tallied 12 kills on the day, while
Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) added 11 kills of her own.
The Pioneers' record moved to 7-11 overall. Ithaca improved to 14-3, while Houghton advanced its record to 10-9.
Ithaca opened the afternoon with a 3-0 victory over the Pioneers by the scores of 25-18, 25-19 and 25-22. Utica lost its second game of the day to host Houghton, 3-0, by the scores of 25-18, 25-13 and 25-22.
In game one against the Bombers,
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) paced the Pioneers with a team-best eight kills.
Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) and Brandi Blazek each added four kills apiece, while
Ashley Jones (Charlton, NY/Galway) picked up six kills and
Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) registered five kills. Homer-Gunther also picked up six blocks (two solo). Allen finished game one with 17 assists.
Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) had a team-high 12 kills in the opener.
Rylie Bean led the Bombers with nine kills .
Brandi Blazek led Utica with ten kills in game two.
Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) added 19 assists and a team-best two service aces.
Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) chipped in with four kills and eight digs, while
Ashley Jones (Charlton, NY/Galway) and Allen collected a combined six kills.
Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) also added a team-high 12 digs for the Pioneers.
Michaline Rubas (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) added eight digs for UC, while
Samantha Hoerning (Farmingville, NY/Sachem East) drilled home three kills in game two.
Houghton's Hattie Burgher led the Highlanders with 11 kills and 20 digs, while Anna Coryell added 20 assists and three kills.
Utica returns to the hardwood on Wednesday when the Pioneers travel to Cobleskill for non-conference action at 7 p.m