UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's volleyball team won 3-1 against Cazenovia College on Thursday night. The win extends the program record for wins in a season with now its 16th of the year. 
 
The first set saw both teams exchange leads until Cazenovia held an 8-5 edge. Utica would keep the set close as the Wildcats led 11-8 before going on a six-point scoring run to increase their lead to 17-8. The Pioneers rallied with a five-point scoring run of their own and it was fueled by an Abriana Wadley (Utica, NY/Proctor) kill and an Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) and Peyton Migliaccio (Suffern, NY/Suffern) block. The Wildcats led 23-16 before Utica cut the lead to just one. Cazenovia held on and won the set 25-23 and held a 1-0 advantage in the match.
 
The Pioneers started out strong in the second set and opened a 6-1 advantage courtesy of an ace from Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) and McKenna LaPorte (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse). Utica's offense was rolling as the team led 11-5 before Cazenovia stopped the run. A Migliacccio kill and Cepiel service ace had the Pioneers up 15-5 before the Wildcats trimmed the lead to 15-9. Utica's offense continued to perform and the Cazenovia comeback effort fell short as the Pioneers won the set 25-20 and evened the match at 1-1.
 
Utica began the third set up 5-2 and LaPorte's serving was terrific and forced Cazenovia into multiple errors. The Pioneer offense continued to roll and the team was up 14-7 via a Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) service ace and a Brianna Woods (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) kill. Utica then went on a six-point scoring run as Kurstan Martin (Owego, NY/Tioga) had three powerful kills to put the team up 20-8. Utica closed out the set 25-13 and was up 2-1 in the match.
 
The fourth set was more of the same as the Pioneer offense was firing on all cylinders and led 10-2 within the blink of an eye. Hannah Johnson's (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) serving was phenomenal and helped the Pioneers grow such a large advantage early on in the set. The offense continued to press and was up 16-3 before eventually winning the set 25-8 and the match 3-1.
 
The Pioneer offense looked unstoppable tonight as the team registered 39 kills. Cepiel led the way with 12 followed by Martin with 10 and Woods with eight. Utica's serving was also on par as Johnson tied a season-high four serving aces and Maggiore and Pappas each recorded two. Migliaccio tallied three blocks and was a force on defense while Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham ) recorded a career-high 20 assists in the match. The trio of Pappas, Cepiel, and LaPorte continued their excellent defense as they each recorded nine or more digs in the contest.
 
Utica (16-11, 4-5 Empire 8) will travel to face Nazareth College in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament First Round on Tuesday, November 1 at 7 p.m. The team beat Nazareth on September 24 in five sets for the first time in program history and looks to keep the momentum heading into its first postseason in 20 years.