Vassar Volleyball Runs Winning Streak to Five

By Steven Merritt

POUGHKEEPSIE – The Vassar College Women’s Volleyball team won its fifth straight match on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers dominated its way to a 25-16, 25-17, 25-11 triumph over Utica in the final match of the Vassar Quad. The Brewers hit .333 as team on the match with 44 kills to carry Vassar to improving to 7-1 overall on the season.

First Set
Vassar raced out to a 8-2 lead to open the match behind two kills and an ace from junior Maura McAusland along with a winner each from first year Elena Feuer, junior Holland Kaplan and sophomore Erin Lovett.

Utica cut the lead to 11-6 before the Brewers rattled off six straight points on two kills apiece from McAusland and junior Holland Kaplan and one winner from junior Francesca Medrano.

Back-to-back aces from Mackenzie O’Brien and a kill from Trinity Bailey brought the Pioneers within 18-11.

Utica got within 20-15 on a Lauren Jones kill but VC answered with a kill each from Lovett and Kaplan to take the first set win.

Second Set
The set opened up in a 4-4 tie before the Brewers went ahead 11-6 after kills from Lovett, Kaplan and senior Rebecca Gutierrez and an ace from first year Summer Stern.

Utica reduced the lead to 12-9 before two more McAusland winners and a Kaplan kill pushed VC in front 15-9.

Vassar’s advantage grew to 21-10 behind a block from Feuer and Lovett, kills from McAusland and Lovett and an ace from Medrano.

Kills from Jones and Bailey along with a block from Charley Herrington put Utica within 24-17 before a Kaplan kill took the second set.

Third Set
Utica took a 6-5 lead on a Herrington kill before the Vassar lead went to 17-8 behind two blocks and a kill from Feuer and a kill from McAusland.

Alicia Ancewicz buried two kills to bring the lead down to 18-10.

Vassar scored seven of the final eight points of the match following a kill and a block from first year Ellen Zwerling and kills from McAusland, Medrano and Gutierrez to complete the sweep.

For The Brewers
McAusland garnered 16 kills (.481) and six digs while Kaplan added nine kills (.333), an ace and four digs.

Lovett tallied four kills and four blocks along with Gutierrez finishing with five kills.

Medrano completed an all-around day with four kills, 35 assists, an ace and nine digs.

Feuer added two kills and five blocks along with Zwerling chipping in two kills and a block.

Senior Ellie Kogan lifted a match-high 13 digs.

For The Pioneers
Bailey recorded a team-high seven kills and four digs while Jones finished with three kills, six assists and seven digs.

Ancewicz tallied two kills, seven assists and four digs along with Turner registering two kills and four digs.

Megan Wright lifted a team-best 10 digs.

Vassar will head to Eastern Connecticut State for a tri-match with the Warriors and Johnson and Wales on Saturday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m.