Score: Elmira College 3, Alfred State College 0 [25-22, 25-20, 25-14]
Score: Elmira College 3, Cazenovia College 0 [25-8, 25-13, 25-20]
Records: Elmira (3-1, 0-0 E8), Cazenovia (1-7, 0-1 NEAC), Alfred State (2-4, 0-0 ACAA)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team earned two sweeps on Saturday morning, as the Soaring Eagles topped both Alfred State University [25-22, 25-20, 25-14] and Cazenovia College [25-8, 25-13, 25-20] in straight sets at home at Speidel Gymnasium.

In the opening contest, EC's offense was clicking, as it held a .338-to-.214 advantage in attack percentage. This helped the Soaring Eagles pull ahead in a relatively even match.

Leading the way for the Purple and Gold offense was the junior duo of Natalie Schieder '19 and Taylor Kaznowski '19. Schieder was Elmira's most consistent threat from the outside, as she tallied a match-high 11 kills. In addition to her 11 kills, the Alden, New York, native recorded 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Kaznowski, on the other hand, continued to excel in her setter role. For the second, consecutive contest, the product of Hamburg, New York, reached the 30-assists mark.

Rookie Lauren Smith '21 also made her presence know on the court, as she finished with eight digs, seven kills and three assists.

The Soaring Eagles were even more dominant in the second contest of the day, as their .284 hitting percentage topped Caz's -.035 clip. This efficiency was responsible for EC dropping just 21 points in the first two sets combined. The Purple and Gold posted an attack percentage above .400 in both of the first two sets against the Wildcats.

Schieder continued her impressive play in the second bout of the day, as she finished with a match-high nine kills, which gave her 20 on the day. Ending the contest just behind her were Sabrina Didas '20 and Smith, who tallied seven and six kills, respectively. Didas's seven kills against Cazenovia are a new career high for the sophomore.

On the defensive side of the court, Schieder again showed her skills in that aspect of the game, as she tallied a match-high 12 digs. Combined with her total from match one, Schieder finished the day with 23 digs.

Another aspect of Elmira's impressive play in contest two was the serving prowess of freshman Kassi Hastings '21. The product of Windsor, New York, recorded a match- and season-high six aces, which included a stretch of four-in-a-row during the third set, which helped swing a then-close third in EC's favor.
 
In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Rhonda Faunce on her team winning all three matches at the EC Quad-Match…
"I feel pretty excited. We are going to face some pretty tough competition coming up, so it's nice to feel good about how you are playing. I am happy with how we played."
 
Coach Faunce on what aspect of her team's game was working well…
"We were working hard on the first pass, which gives Taylor [Kaznowski] a lot of options when she passes the ball. In the past few days, we moved Tiara John '19, which balances us a lot better."

Coach Faunce on her team's practice routine heading into Tuesday's home contest against Morrisville State…
"I hope we come in well rested and play well. We are going to continue to focus on the basics because if we have a solid core on the basics we can continue to get things done."

News and Notes

• With two wins today, Elmira improves to 3-1 on the season.
• EC's .338 hitting percentage in the first match is a new season high.
• Caz's -.035 attack percentage is the lowest by a Purple and Gold opponent in 2017.
• The Soaring Eagles finished with identical 14-service ace performances in matches one and two today, which is tied for a new season high.
• Schieder's 11-kill-11dig performance in the first contest of the day was her second double-double of the year.
• With 30 assists in against Alfred State, Kaznowski has reached at least 30 assists in two of the Purple and Gold's four matches on the season.
• Didas's seven kills against the Wildcats are a career high for the sophomore.
• Kassi Hastings posted eight assists, seven digs and six service aces in her first collegiate match against Cazenovia.
• Olivia Harnois '19, Sam Chadbourne '19, Kassi Hastings and Fallon Huck '21 all saw their first action of the season against Cazenovia.

 
Up Next
The Elmira women continue non-conference play on Tuesday, September 12, when it welcomes Morrisville State College to Speidel Gymnasium. The home match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.