Box Score

Elmira, NY – The Elmira College Women's Volleyball team nearly made a comeback from two sets down but ultimately fell to visiting Nazareth College 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 16-25, 25-23) Saturday afternoon in the Empire 8 Semifinal at Speidel Gymnasium. The win advances the Golden Flyers (21-14) to the Empire 8 Championship match Sunday against the Stevens starting at 12:00 p.m. in Speidel Gymnasium. The Soaring Eagles (21-12) will wait to see about earning a bid in the ECAC playoffs. 
 
The two teams played a back-and-forth first set as Nazareth led at one point by four and Elmira battled back to take a 19-16 lead. The Golden Flyers then responded with seven consecutive points to take the lead 23-19 and close out the set 25-22.
 
Nazareth took an early 12-6 lead in the second set and extended that lead to 16-8. The Soaring Eagles dug deep responding with a 12-4 run to get within 20-15. The Golden Flyers responded down the stretch to close out the second set 25-19.
 
Elmira came out rejuvenated in the third set taking a 14-9 lead and cruising to a 25-16 victory. The Soaring Eagles led early in the fourth set but Nazareth took a 10-7 lead part way through the set prompting Head Coach Rhonda Faunce to call time out. Nazareth continued to apply the pressure leading 17-13. EC responded once again cutting the deficit to 21-19 forcing Naz Head Coach Cal Wickens to call timeout. The two teams continued to battle tit for tat as the Golden Flyers clung to a 23-21 lead. After an Ashley Heiman '16 block and a Nazareth ball-handling error the game was tied at 23 apiece. On the next point the Soaring Eagles had a ball-handling error followed by a perfectly placed Nazareth kill from Maria Alloco '15 (Ballston Lake, NY -- Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) into the back corner to close out the match, 25-23.

 
Taryn Rumsey '14 and Sasha Zavadska '13 led the Soaring Eagle attack as they both finished with double-doubles. Rumsey tallied a match-high 23 kills to go with 13 digs, while Zavadska recorded 21 kills and 10 digs. Francene Cicia '13 and Catherine Miller '14 both finished with double digit digs at 13 and 11, respectively. Molly Short '13 dished out 33 assists.
 
Sophomores Alloco and Kassandra Busek led the attack for Naz with 13 kills apiece, while they hit .632 and .375, respectively. Chelsea Beecher finished with eight kills and 10 digs, while Brittany Crocetti added 13 digs, and Aubrey Cooke dished out 44 assists.
 

Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the Elmira College athletic department by “liking” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ElmiraCollegeAthletics) and “following” our Twitter account (http://twitter.com/ECSoaringEagles).