Score: Nazareth College 3, Elmira College 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-21)
Records: Elmira (11-18, 2-6 E8), Nazareth (18-10, 6-1 E8)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team couldn't keep pace with Empire 8 foe Nazareth College on Tuesday evening, as the Soaring Eagles fell in their final home contest of the season.

The Golden Flyers were a consistent force at the net all evening, ending the match with a .274 team hitting percentage. EC found offense through sophomore Lydia Milligan '21, who tallied a team-high nine kills. Nazareth was led by Carmen Sapp and Kelsey Milligan, who finished with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Taylor Kaznowski '19 finished the match with a double-double on 19 assists and 14 digs.

Nazareth seized an early lead in the opening stanza, using a 6-0 run to jump out to a 12-6 lead. EC couldn't gain its footing in the set, as the Golden Flyers rolled to a 25-17 win. Nazareth opened the second set in similar fashion, taking a 15-9 lead over the Purple and Gold. EC battled back with a 4-0 run, bookended by a pair of kills from Milligan, to cut the deficit to 18-15. Elmira pulled within two at 21-19 after back-to-back miscues by the Golden Flyers, but the Purple and Gold couldn't keep the momentum going, as Nazareth claimed the second set, 25-20.

The final set of the evening was a back-and-forth affair as the teams traded blows until the very end. Elmira was able to seize the lead early, taking a 9-7 advantage on the heels of a kill from Natalie Schieder '19. Both sides continued to alternate points until Nazareth was able to seize a 22-18 advantage with a 4-0 run. Schieder halted the run with a kill, but it wasn't enough as EC couldn't stage a late comeback as the Golden Flyers held on for a 25-21 win.

News and Notes

• Milligan hit at a team-high .529 clip.
• Kaznowski recorded her fifth-straight double-double and 15th overall this season.
• Schieder currently ranks seventh in EC history with 1,284 career digs, and only needs 26 digs to move into sixth-place.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles close the regular season this weekend at the two-day Dig Pink Invitational, hosted by SUNY Oneonta. Elmira opens the tournament on Friday, October 26, with a 6:00 p.m. match against Baruch College.