POTSDAM, NY- The Utica College volleyball team dropped a pair of non-conference matches Friday at the SUNY Potsdam Tournament.  UC played two tight games against Potsdam and the University of Maine at Fort Kent, despite dropping both of them by identical 3-1 scores. 
 
Utica 1, Potsdam 3- Game One Final
The Pioneers put up a strong fight in the first set, however the host team was able to sneak out a 26-24 win to take a 1-0 advantage.  Utica responded in the second set, earning a 25-22 victory, before the Bears took set three 25-19.  With its back against the wall, UC put forth a valiant effort to try to even the score, however it was not enough as Potsdam once again was able to come away with a victory, 28-26, to take the set and the match.
 
Junior Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) led UC with 11 kills and tied senior Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) with an impressive .529 hitting percentage.  Homer-Gunther finished the first game with nine kills and a team-best five blocks. 
 
Senior Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) chipped in with a season-high 37 assists, while Alexis Lyon (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) racked up 21 digs on the defensive side. 
 
Utica 1, University of Maine at Fort Kent 3- Game Two Final
One again the Pioneers lost the first set but were able to battle back to win the second.  Momentum once against swung as the Bengals were able to win the final two sets by scores of 25-19 as they extended their winning streak to eight games. 
 
Freshman Hannah Voss (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) led the Pioneers with 12 kills and she remains at the top of the Empire 8 statistics rankings with 3.30 kills per set.  Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) once again racked up an impressive hitting percentage of .643 as she had nine kills and added five blocks.  This marks the fourth straight game Homer-Gunther has compiled a hitting percentage of .500 or better. Senior Alexis Lyon (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) recorded a career-high 33 digs, while Lora Allen (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville) added 38 assists. 
 
The Pioneers look to bounce back Saturday as they take on SUNY Canton and Johnson State College.  The first game is set to start at 1 p.m.