Vassar Picks Up First Victory Over FDU-Florham

By Steven Merritt

MONTCLAIR, NJ – The Vassar College Women’s Volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers fell to UMass Dartmouth 18-25, 18-25, 18-25 before rebounding to sweep FDU-Florham 25-19, 25-20, 25-7. Vassar’s record moves to 1-2 and the victory gives Head Coach Grace Campbell her first victory as the Vassar Head Coach.

UMD 3 VC 0
First Set
The Brewers took a 6-5 lead on a kill from sophomore Holland Kaplan before the Corsairs answered with five of the next six points on a kill each from Allison Pate and Monika Kristjansdottir.

Vassar cut the lead to one at 11-10 on a winner from junior Rebecca Gutierrez and got within one again at 17-16 after a kill from first year Erin Lovett.

UMass Dartmouth scored six of the final seven points in the set as a block from Maddie Carter and Olivia Seutter clinched the set.

Second Set
The Corsairs pushed ahead 7-4 after a kill from Pate and Chelsea Sanker until the Brewers used two kills from Gutierrez and a winner from sophomore Maura McAusland to take a 8-7 lead.

After a kill from Kaplan put the Brewers within a point at 12-11, UMD tallied 10 straight points to build a 22-11 lead.

Vassar battled back to within 24-18 after three kills from Lovett and one from senior Morgan Miller before the Corsairs took the second set.

Third Set
UMD raced out to a 7-1 lead as Seutter buried four kills along with a winner each from Carter and Kate Wade.

The lead grew to 13-5 on a Sanker kill as Vassar cut the lead to 15-10 on an ace from junior Ellie Kogan.

Sabrina Bordone’s ace pushed the lead up to 22-12 until Vassar cut the lead down to 24-18 on two kills from McAusland.

UMass Dartmouth completed the sweep with a kill from Carter.

For The Brewers
Guterirrez finished with a team-high 10 kills while McAusland added seven winners.

Kaplan finished with six kills and 11 digs along with Lovett adding six kills.

Senior Molly Ardren handed out a team-high 13 assists while senior Hailey Hayes tallied eight assists.

Sophomore T Petro lifted a match-high 17 digs for Vassar.

For The Corsairs
Seutter buried a match-high 11 kills and three blocks along with nine kills and seven digs from Wade.

Kristjansdottir recorded seven kills and two blocks while Carter added five winners and three blocks.

Skye Peters registered a match-high 18 assists while Bordone tallied 12 assists, two aces and nine digs.

Emily Pogorelec lifted a team-high 14 digs.

VC 3 FDU 0
First Set
After a back-and-forth beginning to the set at four all, Vassar scored six straight points, led by three aces from sophomore Francesca Medrano and kills from senior Frannie Anthony-Brumfield, Kaplan and Gutierrez.

The Devils cut the lead to 10-8 until four kills from Kaplan extended the lead back to 14-9.
FDU-Florham drew even at 15 on a kill from Tayla O’Connor and took the lead at 17-16 on an ace from Rachel Reiter.

After a solo block from Gabbie Hart tied the set at 18, the Brewers scored seven of the final eight points as Medrano landed four straight aces to help Vassar take the opening set.

Second Set
The Devils took an early 5-3 lead after kills from Reiter and Genevieve Finch before Vassar batted back to tie the set at six on a Gutierrez kill.

Vassar recorded 11 straight points, led by two more aces from Medrano and three kills from Gutierrez.

FDU-Florham got within 18-13 on an ace from Stephanie Lynch before Lovett’s winner pushed the Brewers ahead 20-14.

Fitch’s ace cut the Vassar lead to 20-19 but the Brewers responded with five of the next six points as an ace from Ardren and a winner from Medrano clinched the second set.

Third Set
Vassar raced out to a 10-2 lead to start the set as McAusland tallied three service aces while Miller and Lovett combined for a block.

After a Mackenzie Crandall and Hannah Weinmen block made it 11-5, the Brewers responded to score 13 of the next 14 points, led by five aces from Kogan and four kills from McAusland.

Vassar completed the sweep following a FDU-Florham service error for the first victory in Coach Campbell’s career.

For The Brewers
McAusland finished with nine kills, four aces and three digs while Kaplan recorded six winners.

Medrano registered an incredible nine aces, two kills and 11 digs along with Kogan adding five aces and seven digs.

Gutierrez tallied five kills and a block along with three kills each from Miller and Lovett.

Ardren handed out a team-high 18 assists while Petro added eight digs.

For The Devils
Crandall and Fitch each tallied six kills while O’Connor added four kills and five digs.

Lilli Nawrotski handed out 13 assists and added two aces and four digs.

Lunch recorded an ace and seven digs along with Sami Schneider lifting six digs.