Score: Elmira College 3, Misericordia University 0 [25-19, 25-21, 25-21]
Records: Elmira (16-10), Misericordia (13-17)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team had an all-around great night at Speidel Gymnasium on Thursday evening, as the Soaring Eagles not only bested Misericordia University in straight sets, junior middle hitter Natalie Schieder '19 became the 11th player in program history to record 1,000 career kills.

Schieder's historic kill came in the third set as the score sat tied at 6-all. After the Alden, New York, native broke the tie, Head Coach Rhonda Faunce called a timeout and awarded Schieder a team-signed ball to acknowledge the feat.

Schieder was not the only EC player to receive special recognition in tonight's bout. In a pre-match ceremony, Courtney VanBuren '18 and Taylor Kaznowski '19 were also acknowledged. Because tonight's match served as Elmira Class of 2018 Recognition Day, VanBuren was given a special gift by her teammates, as she is the lone graduating member of the team. Kaznowski was also awarded a team-signed ball to recognize her achievement of reaching 2,000 career assists, which she accomplished on October 7 against St. John Fisher College.

In the match, the Soaring Eagles outhit the Cougars .245-to-.192, which fueled their success in a relatively even matchup. Otherwise, the bout was very close, as EC held slight advantages in kills (39-34), assists (37-32) and aces (9-8).

Schieder concluded the tilt with 14 kills and nine digs. Kaznowski led Elmira in both assists (31) and service aces (3). Freshman Savannah Terry '21 also played exceptionally well against Misericordia, as she recorded eight kills, two service aces and a block. In her final collegiate match at Speidel Gymnasium, VanBuren tallied four kills and hit at a scalding .800 clip.

At the start of the first set, the Soaring Eagles were clicking on all cylinders, as they won 14 of the first 17 points. The push was highlighted by a VanBuren kill at the in the middle of the stretch. An 8-0 streak by Misericordia cut Elmira's lead to three points, 14-11. A 6-2 run by the Cougars, eight points later, even gave the road team a 17-16 advantage late in the set. The Soaring Eagles did not let this deficit deter them, however, as they won nine of the last 11 points to take the first set by a 25-19 final score.

In the second set, mini-runs by both teams put the score at 9-8 in EC's favor after the first 17 points. Elmira took seven of the next 10 points to take a 16-11 advantage. A 6-1 surge by the Cougars tied the score at 17-all. With the score at 21-19 in favor of the home team, two straight Lauren Smith '21 aces put Elmira up by four points, 23-19. EC would not give up this advantage for the remainder of the set, as it took a 2-0 lead over Misericordia in the match.

In the decisive third set, the Soaring Eagles started strong and won the first four points. The Cougars answered with a 7-3 run of their own to knot the score at 7-all. The two teams traded points until the score was again tied, 12-12. Two service aces by Terry and a kill by Schieder highlighted a 4-0 EC run, which put the home team up 16-12. The Purple and Gold would not relinquish this lead for the rest of the set, which sealed their 16th win of the year.  

In Her Own Words…
Head Coach Rhonda Faunce on her feelings following tonight's victory…
"I was very happy for Courtney, Taylor and Natalie. They all have accomplished great things in their careers. I am also very happy that we won our final home game of the season."

Coach Faunce on playing in front of the home crowd for the final time in 2017 …
"I was nervous. It was nice to see so many people come out and support us even though it is break at Elmira. It also makes me feel good that so many people saw the women's special achievements. They are a solid group of players and have worked so hard to bounce back. It's good that people were here to see that."

Coach Faunce on what she wants to see out of the team as the season comes to a close…
"Even though we can't make it to the Empire 8 Conference Playoffs, the team is committed to winning the rest of its games. It feels great to bounce back from our six-win season last year to already post a winning record."
 
 
News and Notes

• With the win tonight, Elmira improves to 16-10 on the season and to 5-4 at Speidel Gymnasium.
• EC's record in non-conference play stands at 15-5.
• With the victory tonight, Coach Faunce has 598 wins in her illustrious career.
• The Soaring Eagles' .245 hitting percentage is their highest since they posted a .279 clip in their September 16 victory over Hilbert College.
• Misericordia's .192 attack percentage is the highest by an Elmira opponent in a win since Alfred State hit at a .214 clip in EC's 3-0 win over the Pioneers on September 9.
• Schieder became the 11th Soaring Eagle to post at least 1,000 kills in her career.
• The last Elmira player to reach the 1,000-kill milestone was Taryn Rumsey '14, who did so in her junior campaign of 2012.
• With 31 assists tonight, Kaznowski has tallied at least 25 assists in 10 straight matches.
• Terry's eight kills are the third most that she has posted in her rookie season.
• VanBuren recorded four kills and hit at a .800 clip in her final home match as a Soaring Eagle.

Up Next
EC will return to action on Saturday, October 21, when it heads to Albany, New York, to take part in an Empire 8 Crossover at The Sage Colleges. Elmira starts the event with an 11:00 a.m. bout against the host Gators of Sage, before it ends the invite with a neutral-site match against Houghton College at 1:30 p.m.