ALFRED, NY - The Utica College volleyball team took its first loss of the season on Sunday. The Pioneers fell in straight sets by scores of 25-17, 25-15, and 25-18 to host Alfred University in an Empire 8 match.

The loss drops the Pioneers at 1-1 overall and in conference. Alfred improves to 2-1.

The Pioneers had 21 kills, five service aces, 17 assists, 43 digs, and two blocks in the match. Utica was led by Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga), who had six kills and a pair of digs. Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) continued her quality start to the season with two kills and a team-best ten digs. Rosemarie Fesko (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) had a trio of kills and a pair of blocks in her season debut. Freshman Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) chipped in with two service aces and eight digs.

The Saxons had 40 kills, 36 assists, and 49 digs to go with eight service aces in the match. They finished with a 27.7 percent attack percentage. Sarah Raeman had twelve kills in the win for Alfred.

Utica battled hard out of the gate in the opening set, but the Saxons broke it open after a 9-9 tie by scoring ten of the next twelve points and they claimed the first set 25-17. Utica attacked at an 11.1 percent rate in the opening frame and had seven kills.

The second set was decisively more tilted in favor of Alfred throughout, as the host Saxons cruised to a 25-15 win. They opened up an early cushion and waltzed away with the second set. The hosts had thirteen kills to Utica's four in the second set.

The Saxons scored seven of the first nine points in the third set to open up a lead, and that advantage was enough in the third set to stave off Utica's best attacking effort of the day and close out the match. Utica had a match-best ten kills in the third set and had a 16.1 percent attack percentage, but dropped the set by their closest margin of the day, 25-18.

The Pioneers return to the floor on Sunday, March 28th at Houghton College.