ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Utica University women's volleyball team opened Empire 8 play with a straight-set victory on Friday evening, as the Pioneers defeated host Elmira College, 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-12), at Speidel Gymnasium.
Trinity Bailey (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) led the Pioneers offensively with 18 kills on 30 attacks, hitting .467 for the match. Bailey also added eight digs, two service aces and one block for a team-high 20.5 points. Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) recorded 10 digs and six service aces, while Addison Jones (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) finished with 15 assists and four aces. Alicia Ancewicz (Greenlawn, NY/John Glenn) added 13 assists, and Elizabeth Hanba (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) hit .444 with five kills and one block.
Utica and Elmira battled through 10 ties and three lead changes in the opening set. After Elmira grabbed an early 3-0 lead, the Pioneers answered with three straight points to tie the set at 3-3. The teams continued to trade points before Utica moved in front, 8-7, on an Elmira attack error. Elmira eventually pulled even at 13-13 and took a 14-13 lead, but Utica responded with three straight points to regain a 16-15 advantage. Bailey later delivered a service ace to make it 17-15 before Layla Rice (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) and Allison Navarra (North Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) helped the Pioneers build a 19-17 lead. Utica then took control late, scoring six of the final seven points to close out the set, 25-19. Rice and Bailey each recorded multiple kills during the closing stretch, while Ancewicz added a service ace.
The second set stayed close early, with the teams tied at 3-3 before Utica took control. A pair of Wright service aces and an Elmira attack error helped the Pioneers move ahead 7-4. Elmira cut the deficit to one at 8-7, but the Pioneers continued to work, using a kill from Navarra, Hanba and an Elmira attack error to make it 12-9. Utica then went on a decisive 9-2 run, highlighted by three Bailey kills, a Wright service ace and multiple Elmira errors, to take a 21-12 advantage. The Pioneers finished the set on a 4-0 run, with Hanba recording the final kill before Jones closed it out with a service ace for a 25-14 win.
Utica carried its momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 9-3 lead after trailing 2-1 early. Jones helped spark the run with a pair of service aces, while Hanba added a block during the early surge. Elmira trimmed the deficit to 14-10, but the Pioneers answered with six straight points to take a commanding 20-10 lead. Wright played a major role in the run, recording three service aces and a kill from Bailey and Ancewicz during the stretch. Bailey then added a service ace to make it 23-12 before Hanba finished off the match with a kill from Jones, giving Utica the 25-12 third-set victory and the 3-0 sweep.
With the win, the Pioneers move to 5-11 overall and 1-0 in Empire 8 play. The team returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, October 3rd as the team takes on Keuka College. Game time is set for 1pm from Keuka Park, NY.
