ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica College volleyball team fell on the road to the Nazareth College Golden Flyers on Friday night, 3-1.
 
The first set was tightly contested as neither team held more than a six point lead throughout. UC opened up on a 6-2 run before the Golden Flyers evened the set at six. Later in the set, a service ace by Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) and a pair of kills by Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) helped guide the Pioneers to an 11-7 lead. With UC ahead 16-10, Nazareth found momentum to close the gap to 16-14. A trio of Golden Flyer errors led to a late 19-16 lead for Utica however, Nazareth would go on a 7-4 run to even the set at 23 before taking four of the next five points to take the set, 26-24. 
 
Nazareth took the second set, 25-18. The Golden Flyers never trailed in the set, leading by as much as 10 points by a score of 22-10. However, the Pioneers bounced back to claim the third set, 25-20. Ahead 9-5 to begin the set, UC claimed five of the next six points to force a Golden Flyers timeout. Later with a 17-9 lead, the Pioneers surrendered five of the next six points to make it an 18-14 set in favor of UC. Four attack errors, an ace by Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) as well as a kill by Martin and Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) helped close the set and extend the match. 
 
Although Utica came back in the set to have an opportunity, Nazareth closed out the fourth set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1. The Golden Flyers used 16 kills on a .324 hitting percentage to its advantage to overpower the Pioneers' seven kills and .000 hitting percentage to finish the night. 
 
Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) led Utica with 18 kills followed by Julyanna Sauschuck (Huguenot, NY/Port Jervis) with eight and Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) with four. Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) contributed 16 assists while Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) added 10. Caitlyn Esposito (Haddam, CT/Haddam-Killingworth) finished as the team leader with six blocks and Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) ended the match as the team leader with 12 digs. 
 
UC (7-15, 2-5 Empire 8) will return to the court at home on Saturday, October 23 at 5 p.m. against St. John Fisher. This will mark the final home and Empire 8 match of the season for the Pioneers.