Score: Elmira College wins 3-0 [25-11, 25-19, 25-23]
Records: Elmira (8-4, 2-2 Empire 8), Alfred (1-15, 0-4 Empire 8)
Location: James A. McLane Physical Education Center – Alfred, NY
 
Alfred, NY -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team evened its conference record on Wednesday evening, downing Alfred University in straight sets [25-11, 25-19, 25-23]. The victory stretches Elmira's recent dominance of their Empire 8 neighbor to 26 consecutive matches dating back to the 1998 season.
 
The Purple and Gold set the tone right from the opening serve, jumping out to an early 8-4 advantage in the opening set. The Soaring Eagles continued to grow the advantage with point streaks throughout the set, challenging Alfred with smothering defense and taking advantage of some woeful hitting on the part of the Saxons. Ashley Heiman '16, Natalie Schieder '19 and Kelsey Ray '17 each tallied multiple kills in the set, as Elmira rolled 25-11.
 
The Saxons rebounded well from the difficult start, as the home side seemed to find its swing the middle frame. The teams would trade the first 30 points in the set, sitting in a tie at 15-15 midway through the frame. It was the Soaring Eagles who would finally string a pair of points together, as Heiman would tally another kill, while Paola Ortiz '16 and Schieder combined on a block to take a slim 17-15 advantage. Kelsey Ross '16 would grow the advantage, chocking up a kill and a service ace on consecutive sequences to stretch the lead to three. The Purple and Gold would put away the set with another three consecutive points, which included kills by Ortiz and Schieder, holding off the Saxons 25-19 to take a commanding two-sets-to-none lead.
 
Alfred did not back down despite the difficult situation it was in down 2-0. The Saxons looked in prime position to take the third set up 23-20; however, the Soaring Eagles would rally for five straight points to steal the set and seal the match. Schieder would knot the set with a service ace, while an excellent block from Heiman and Ray gave Elmira the lead. Ross would clinch the match with her sixth kill of the contest.
 
Turning Point
Although Elmira took the opening set in commanding fashion, the match was still very much up for grabs as the teams were knotted at 15-15 midway through the second set. The Soaring Eagles would grab control of the middle frame with a seven of the next nine points, finishing the swing set on a 10-to-4 overall run to snatch firm control of the match. Schieder played a big role in the run, registering three of her nine overall kills.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Elmira held a decisive hitting advantage, besting Alfred .174-to-.050 in the match.
• The Soaring Eagles were clinical in the decisive middle set, registering 17 kills, while committing just four hitting errors. Elmira swung at a .271 clip in the frame.
• Alfred got off to a horrid hitting start in the opening set, committing 11 errors and swinging at a -.286 clip in the frame.
• Elmira held a slight edge in service aces 7-to-4; however, the Soaring Eagles tallied big aces in the second and third sets, which helped spark the decisive runs in each frame.
• Heiman led all players with 12 kills in the contest; her fourth match of double-digit kills this season.
• Taylor Kaznowski '19 continued to solidify her place as one of the top young setters in the conference. She recorded 28 assists and added two aces, while most impressively not committing a single setting or receiving error.
• Elmira libero Amanda Blinkinsop '16 led all players with 20 digs in the contest.
• Heiman and Ray made a significant impact defensively at the net front. Each tallied four block assists, while the duo altered many attacks throughout the contest.

 
News and Notes

• With the victory over Alfred, Elmira has now won the last 26 matches in the series dating back to the 1998 season. The win was the Soaring Eagles 40^th victory in the all-time series.
• Elmira is now 3-1 in true road matches, while it is 2-0 in true road Empire 8 matches this season.
• Schieder ended the match just one kill shy of notching her ninth double-digit kill effort of the season. She has now finished with single digits in three of her last four matches, following a streak of seven straight matches with 11-plus.
• Kaznowski has now tallied double-digit assists in all 12 matches this season. She has tallied 20-plus helpers in three consecutive matches and four of the last five overall.
• Heiman has been a consistent force for the Soaring Eagles over recent matches. Her hitting has been quite solid, as she has posted .200 or better hitting percentages in four consecutive matches.

 
Up Next
Elmira will return to action on Friday when the squad returns to Oneonta, NY, for the second consecutive weekend for the two-day Hartwick Tournament. The Soaring Eagles will open the event with a pair of matches on Friday, October 2^nd. The Purple and Gold will face the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 4:00 p.m., while they will round out first-day action against the United States Coast Guard Academy at 8:00 p.m.