UTICA, NY - The Utica College volleyball team bounced back from its straight set sweep loss on Friday night with a 3-2 comeback win over the Alfred University Saxons on Saturday afternoon. 
 
The Pioneers jumped out of the gates hot with a 25-16 win in the first set. However, the Saxons responded with a 25-13 win in the second set and a close 25-23 win in the third set. 
 
With backs to the wall down 16-11 in the fourth set, the resilience shown so many times the season by the Pioneers came out again as they came back to even the set at 17. Later down 21-19, Utica went on a 5-0 which included kills by Julyanna Sauschuck (Huguenot, NY/Port Jervis), Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) and Caitlyn Espositio. After a Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) service error, Martin ensured a win in the fourth set with a kill to even the match at 2-2. 
 
In the fifth set, Alfred started ahead on a 5-1 run but again, UC didn't shy away. With the score 7-7 in favor of the Saxons, Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) recorded three straight kills to push Utica ahead, 9-7. Now 11-10 Pioneers, a Cepiel Kill and two by Sauschuck put the Pioneers at match point. The Saxons made it interesting with two points following the Sauschuck kills; however, Cepiel called game with a kill as Utica took the fifth set, 15-12. 
 
Cepiel finished with a team-high 16 kills while Martin was second on the team with 15. Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) impressed with a career-high 36 assists. Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) once again led the team with 24 digs while Cepiel ended with 18 and Maggiore with 14. Lainey Hayden (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) also took credit for three of the four blocks by the Pioneers. 
 
UC (6-12, 2-3 Empire 8) travels to Oneonta on Wednesday, October 13 for a 7 p.m. game against Hartwick College.