UTICA, NY - The Utica College volleyball team suffered another close loss on Friday night, dropping its conference opener at home to the Houghton College Highlanders. 
 
Houghton came out firing in the first set as the team never trailed once en route to a 25-19 set one win. However, the Pioneers resilience that they have shown this season appeared again in the following two sets. 
 
 Utica claimed set two, 25-15 and set three, 25-16 to take a 2-1 lead into the fourth set. The Highlanders got the best of the Pioneers in a tightly contested fourth set, 25-21, that saw Houghton total 17 kills on .205 percent hitting while UC only managed six kills. In the final set, Houghton jumped out to an early 6-0 lead before Utica stormed back to make it an 8-7 set in favor of the Highlanders. Although UC rallied to make it interesting, Houghton held on to take the first conference match of the season for both teams, 15-12 and 3-2. 
 
Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) led UC with 13 kills to go with four aces while Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) ended the night with 12 kills on .290 attack percentage. Kystell Pappas led the team with 16 digs while Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) totaled a team high 17 assists. Brianna Woods (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) totaled five kills on the night however, she also finished with a career-high nine blocks. Her nine blocks ranks second in the conference this season for a single five-set game.
 
UC (3-10, 0-1 E8) return to action tomorrow when they travel to Keuka Park to take on the Keuka Wolves at 2 p.m.