UTICA, NY - The Utica University volleyball team started its 2022 season with a sweep at the SUNY Poly tri-match on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers started the day by taking down the SUNY Poly Wildcats 3-0 before responding with a 3-1 win over the Bard College Raptors. 
 
Utica 3, SUNY Poly 0
The Pioneers opened the match with a 25-13 win in the first set. The team jumped out to a 4-0 lead before eventually crawling out to a 20-8 lead and ultimately finishing the set with a 12-point win. 
 
In the second set, Utica once again claimed a 25-13 win. The two sides were neck-and-neck through the early stages with the score at 6-6. The Pioneers reclaimed a 7-6 lead and never looked back, leading by as many as 10 points at 17-7 before cruising to the set win. 
 
The Wildcats began the third set ahead 4-0 and eventually had a 7-2 lead. However, seven straight points by the Pioneers gave the visiting team a 9-7 lead while another 7-2 run from Utica put them ahead 16-9. Although Poly closed its deficit to four points at 18-14, Utica kept its lead in check and finished the straight set sweep with a 25-19 win. 
 
Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) finished the match with 13 of the Pioneers' 33 kills while Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug ) and Peyton Migliaccio (Suffern, NY/Suffern) had five each. Cepiel also led the team with 18 digs followed by Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) with 11 and McKenna LaPorte (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) with six. Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) totaled six of Utica's 13 service aces while Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman), Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham ) and Brenna Stanton (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) all had two. 
 
Utica 3, Bard 1
Bard opened the first set ahead 5-4 before Utica rattled off five points in a row to take a 9-5 lead. The Pioneers eventually went out to a 17-9 advantage before Bard stormed back to within three points at 18-15. Thanks to a trio of service errors by Bard, a service ace by Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) and a Megan Brennan kill, Utica would take the first set 25-22. 
 
While the Raptors claimed the second set 25-19, the Pioneers answered back in the third. Utica held onto a 14-13 lead before outscoring Bard 11-1 for a 25-14 win and a 2-1 advantage. 
 
The fourth set featured 13 lead changes as the teams remained close for the majority of the set. After the Pioneers took a 17-16 lead, the team used a service error, kills by Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug ) and Madison Maggiore (Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee) and an ace by Hannah Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN/Blackman) to take a 22-17 lead. However, Bard would not go down easily as the team came back within two points at 24-22. Eleanor Cepiel (West Sand Lake, NY/Academy of Holy Names) denied Bard the chance of a fourth set comeback as she recorded the final kill of the set and the match, giving Utica the 3-1 win. 
 
Cepiel led the team again with 18 kills while Maggiore and Lauren Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham ) had six each. Maggiore also totaled 29 of Utica's 40 assists. Krystell Pappas (Owensboro, KY/Owensboro) ended the match with a team high 18 digs, followed by Jones with 12. 
 
The Pioneers (2-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will return to action at 6 p.m. on September 6 when the team hosts Hamilton College for its home opener on First Responders night.