Score: Elmira College 3, SUNY Canton 0 [25-18, 25-23, 25-12]
Score: St. Lawrence University 3, Elmira College 1 [25-7, 25-22, 15-23, 25-16]
Records: Elmira (10-7), Canton (5-11), St. Lawrence (13-6)
Location: Canton, N.Y. -- Match 1 Roos House | Match 2 Ronald T. Burkman Gymnasium

CANTON, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team split its pair of matches on day two of the Canton Classic, hosted by SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University, on Saturday afternoon in Canton, New York. The Soaring Eagles started the day with a 3-0 win [25-18, 25-23, 25-12] over SUNY Canton at the Roos House, before heading to Ronald T. Burkman Gymnasium for its four-set loss [25-7, 25-22, 15-23, 25-16] at the hands of St. Lawrence University. 

In the first match of the day, EC used efficient hitting to get ahead of the Kangaroos, as Elmira outhit its non-conference foes .202-to-.047. The Purple and Gold's impressive hitting was highlighted by a blistering .303 clip recorded in the second set.

Pacing the EC offense was junior outside hitter Natalie Schieder '19, as she tallied a match-high 14 kills in the winning effort. Junior setter Taylor Kaznowski '19 was Schieder's main source of passes, as she posted a team-high 24 assists in the contest. Tiara John '19 and Lauren Smith '21 were also recipients of Kaznowski's noteworthy passing, as the former finished second on the team with six kills and the latter posted four kills.

On the defensive end of the court, the Soaring Eagles did an impressive job of defending the net, as the team finished with six total blocks, the most that it has posted this year. Leading the pack in the middle was the duo of John and Karina Hastings '19. John and Hastings both recorded four blocks in the matchup to lead both teams.

Junior defensive specialist Rachel Katzenberger '19 also helped the team defensively, as she recorded a match-high 15 digs. Kaznowski and Kasey Campbell '19 also did a good job of tallying digs, as the pair each recorded nine in the match.

In the second contest of the day, St. Lawrence took control of the bout early, taking the first set, 25-7. The Saints scorching .500 attack percentage in the opening set led it to the easy win. This lopsided start did not deter the Soaring Eagles, however, as they battled St. Lawrence to a hard-fought 25-22 score in the second set before EC won the third set 25-15. Unfortunately for Elmira, this late comeback attempt would fall short, as the Saints held on to take the fourth set by a 25-16 final score to seal the non-conference bout. St. Lawrence's main weapon throughout the match was its hitting, as the home team outhit the Purple and Gold .346-to-.173.

As she had done in the first match of the day, Schieder continued to be at the forefront of the EC offense. Schieder finished the bout against the Saints with a match-high 14 kills and a team-leading three aces. John also stepped up against St. Lawrence, as she posted her third double-double of the season on 14 digs and 12 kills. Kaznowski was also key to the result against the Saints, as she was responsible for all 43 of Elmira assists in the match.

On the defensive side of the court, Campbell ended the contest with 10 digs to finish second on the team. Freshman middle blocker Savannah Terry '21 chipped in at the net, as the rookie tallied a team-leading two blocks.

In Her Own Words…
Head Coach Rhonda Faunce on her team's performance in the opening match against SUNY Canton…
"We played solid against Canton. We were able to cut down on our errors. It felt like we handled them all the way through the match."

Coach Faunce on the second match of the day against St. Lawrence…
"St. Lawrence is a strong team. They have many more options than us. It was a good experience for the team to play a team that is better than us."

Coach Faunce on how this weekend's performance affects the team heading into Tuesday's match against Alfred…
"All in all it was it is always good to win more matches than you lose. I hope that we gain confidence with every win and can bring that into Tuesday's match. The team is still learning and growing, so I am still encouraged."

News and Notes

• With the split today, Elmira's overall record stands at 10-7.
• EC's six blocks against SUNY Canton are a new season-high for the team.
• St. Lawrence's .346 hitting percentage is the second highest by a Soaring Eagle opponent this year.
• The Saints' 11 service aces are tied for the most by an Elmira foe this season.
• John (14d, 12k) recorded her third double-double of the season in the match against the Saints.
• John's four blocks against SUNY Canton are a season high.
• Hastings' four blocks against the Roos tied a career high for the junior.
• Katzenberger tied a season high with 15 digs against the Kangaroos.
• Kaznowski's 43 assists against the Saints are the second most that she has recorded this year.

Up Next
The Elmira women return to Empire 8 Conference play on Tuesday, October 3, with a road match against Alfred University. The league bout is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Saxons' Terry S. Galanis Family Arena.