Match 1: Marymount 3, Elmira 1 (25-19, 14-25, 20-25, 18-25)
Match 2: Elmira 3, Ramapo 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-19)
Records: Elmira (7-10), Marymount (16-2), Ramapo (4-14)
Location: Washington, D.C. - Gallaudet University Field House

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Elmira College wrapped up the Worthington Classic with a split on Saturday afternoon, earning a straight-set victory over Ramapo after battling Marymount to four sets.

Match 1
Elmira came out firing against Marymount, taking the first set 25-19 behind a stellar .433 hitting percentage. Tiara John '19 and Lauren Smith '21 paced Elmira in the opening set with four kills apiece. The Purple and Gold opened a 17-9 lead on the heels of a 5-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Smith and John. The Saints staged a late comeback forcing EC into a timeout with the score at 23-19, but a kill from Kaylene Sauschuck '22 coupled with a block from John and Sauschuck sealed the opening set for the Purple and Gold.

Elmira struggled to replicate their success in attack the rest of the way as Marymount surged back into the match. After dropping the second set 25-14, EC challenged the Saints in the third, opening a 11-7 after an ace from Smith. The Soaring Eagles couldn't hold onto their lead however, as back-to-back blocks by Marymount swung the moment back in the Saints favor. A block from Savannah Terry '21 and a miscue by Marymount pulled EC back within three, but the Purple and Gold couldn't complete the comeback in the third set.

The Saints hit at a match high clip of .444 in the final set, as the Saints seized the lead at 11-10 and never looked back. An ace from Terry knotted the score at 14-14, but that was as close as EC would get, as the Saints captured the fourth set 25-18 and the match 3-1.

Match 2
After a tightly contested first set, the Soaring Eagles cruised past the Roadrunners of Ramapo College to close the Worthington Classic. John and Smith paced EC with 12 kills apiece, while Schieder added her eighth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs. Taylor Kaznowski '19 posted a match-high 35 assists to go along with 10 digs.

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair as Elmira battled the Roadrunners to the wire. Terry knotted the score at 20-20 before Schieder floored a kill to put EC up 23-21 and force Ramapo into a timeout. Ramapo pulled back within one at 24-23, but John wrapped up the opener with her seventh kill of the set.
Elmira broke open the second set on the heels of a 5-0 run that featured four-straight kills from Smith as the Purple and Gold went up 15-10. EC cruised from there as Sauschuck eventually ended the set with one of her four kills.

The third and final set saw more of the same as Smith guided EC's offense with four kills.  Another 5-0 run pushed the Soaring Eagles ahead as Terry tallied three aces to guide Elmira to a 16-10 lead. The Purple and Gold never looked back, taking the final set 25-19 on the heels of back-to-back kills from Terry and Smith.

In her own words...
"We were consistent in the second match," said head coach Rhonda Faunce. "That consistency allowed us to get the win."

News and Notes

• With their straight set victory over Ramapo, Elmira improved to 6-3 in three-set matches this season.
• Schieder has posted three double-doubles in her last four matches.
• Kaznowski and Schieder have now tallied eight double-doubles apiece this season.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles head to Aurora, New York to battle Wells on Wednesday, October 3. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.