Vassar Volleyball Defeats Clarkson; Outlasts Potsdam

By Steven Merritt

POTSDAM – The Vassar College Women’s Volleyball team earned two victories on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers scored a 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-13 victory over conference foe Clarkson, marking its first win over the Golden Knights since 2018 and the first victory on the road since 2007. The Brewers closed the day outlasting SUNY Potsdam with a 25-19, 17-25, 21-25, 25-11, 15-12 victory in the nightcap to improve Vassar’s record to 13-3 overall and 2-0 in Liberty League action.

Vassar 3 Clarkson 1
First Set
The Brewers opened the match with a 7-1 lead as junior Maura McAusland buried three kills along with a kill each from junior Holland Kaplan and sophomore Erin Lovett. Clarkson battled back to even the set at 10 apiece on a kill from Emily Alexander. VC’s lead grew to 16-12 on kills from McAusland and senior Rebecca Gutierrez and a block from the duo.
A Conley Burns winner put Clarkson back even at 21 all along with a block from Ashley Currier and Ainslie Reimer to put the set at 22 even.

Vassar scored the final three points of the set on two kills from McAusland and a Clarkson attack error.

Second Set
Vassar tallied the first five points of the set, led by a block from McAusland and Lovett, to gain the early advantage.

Clarkson clawed back to take a 9-7 lead on a block from Jordyn Leader and Alexander.

Vassar used two kills from Kaplan and a block from junior Francesca Medrano and Gutierrez to push the Brewers in front 13-11. The Golden Knights used a big five point run on a kill from Marin Hangliter, an ace from Alexander and a block from Currier and Reimer to gain a 23-18 lead.

Clarkson evened the match at one set apiece on another block from Currier and Reimer.

Third Set
VC once again surged ahead 5-1 to begin the set on two kills from McAusland and an ace from first year Summer Stern. Clarkson evened the set at 10 on back-to-back kills from Alexander and Hangliter. Two kills from McAusland along with a kill and an ace from Kaplan put the Brewers back on top 17-12. The Golden Knights trimmed the advantage back down to 18-16 following three winners from Burns.

Two kills from sophomore Eleanor Gegen and a winner each from McAusland and Kaplan propelled Vassar to the set victory.

Fourth Set
Vassar held a 7-4 lead early in the fourth set as Gutierrez buried two kills along with a winner each from Gegen, McAusland and Kaplan. The lead quickly built to 15-8 following kills from Gegen, Lovett and McAusland. Three more winners from Kaplan and an ace from McAusland expanded the lead to 21-9. Hangliter’s kill put the Golden Knights within 22-12 but winners from Gutierrez and McAusland clinched the match victory.

Vassar 3 Potsdam 2
First Set
Vassar opened the match with a 6-3 lead following three winners from Kaplan, a kill from first year Elena Feuer and an ace from Feuer.

Potsdam took its own lead at 16-12 behind two kills from Ashlee Hagerman and two aces from Maggie Paluch.

Four straight points from Vassar, led by two winners apiece from Kaplan and Lovett, evened the set at 16.

VC’s lead expanded to 23-17 after kills from Kaplan and Feuer.

Another kill from Feuer and a Potsdam error gave Vassar the first set victory.

Second Set
Following a back-and-forth beginning to the set, Potsdam pulled ahead 9-6 after two kills from Hagerman and a block from Noelle Redeye.

Kills from Gegen, Feuer and Kaplan brought the Brewers back within one at 11-10.
The Bears used a three point run following two aces from Rachel Madore and a kill from Hagerman.

Gegen’s winner cut the advantage to 20-16 before a Hagerman ace and a block from Sarah Ruffos and Logan Georgia helped Potsdam take the second set.

Third Set
After a Feuer kill to tie the set at two, Potsdam scored 10 of the next 11 points to go ahead 12-3 on a Redeye kill. The Brewers trimmed the deficit to 15-11 behind three kills from Lovett and back-to-back aces from Stern.

Meredith Harnden’s ace expanded the lead to 19-12 before VC got back within three at 21-18 on consecutive kills by Lovett.

Potsdam took the third set win following a kill from Jacqueline Fornabia.

Fourth Set
Vassar raced out to an 8-2 lead behind four winners and an ace from McAusland along with a block from Feuer and McAusland. Sophia Layer’s winner put the Brewers within 11-6 until McAusland buried four more kills to extend the advantage to 17-8. Potsdam got back within eight at 19-11 after kills from Hagerman and Redeye.

The Brewers tallied the final six points of the set to push the match to the deciding fifth set on two aces from junior T Petro and a kill each from McAusland and Lovett.

Fifth Set
Vassar began the final set with an ace from Stern and a kill from McAusland to go ahead 2-0. Potsdam responded to take a 5-4 lead after a kill from Georgia and a block from Fornabia and Redeye. Back-to-back kills from Kaplan and Gutierrez pushed the Brewers back in front 7-5. The Bears took a 11-9 advantage after an ace from Gabriella Luna, leading to a Vassar timeout. VC collected five straight points on a kill from Gutierrez and an ace from Stern to go in front 14-11. McAusland clinched the match victory with a kill to extend the winning streak to five.