ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A valiant rally in the second set was not enough for the fourth-seeded Elmira College women's volleyball team, as the Soaring Eagles were defeated in Friday night's Empire 8 Championships semifinal by No. 1-seeded St. John Fisher College in straight sets.

With the win, the host Cardinals (22-10, 7-0 E8) advance to Saturday's E8 title match against the winner of the other semifinal between Houghton College and Nazareth College. Elmira's season ends with a 13-16 overall record (4-3 E8) after qualifying for the Empire 8 playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Fisher established control of the opening set early, thanks to strong performances on both sides of the service game. Four of the team's first 10 points were aces, while two more points came on serving errors by the Soaring Eagles. SJFC jumped out to the lead again to start the second set. The Cardinals led by as many as seven points, lastly at 13-6, before the Soaring Eagles found new life with an impressive comeback.

Consecutive kills from Savannah Terry '21 and Lauren Smith '21 brought Elmira within four points, 14-10, and Smith later tossed up an ace that forced the Cardinals to call a timeout with the deficit at three points, 16-13. Errors by the Fisher offense allowed the re-energized Purple and Gold to tie the set at 17-all. However, the Cardinals rebounded with a 6-1 run en route to a 25-21 set win.

Elmira, which finished with a 3-to-1 advantage in blocks, threw up a pair of blocks to earn consecutive points early in the third set. A solo rejection by Terry and a double-block by Smith and Kaylene Sauschuck '22 was received with a roar from the EC faithful in attendance and tied the set at 3-3. Alas, errors would come back to haunt the Soaring Eagles, as the Cardinals flew back out in front after a trio of miscues by the Elmira offense.

Trailing by seven, 13-6, Elmira made one last rally in hopes of extending the match to a fourth set. Five of the next seven points were in favor of the Soaring Eagles, including one of a team-high-tying five kills by Sauschuck. The second-year middle blocker floored four kills in the third set, but struggles on the serve once again halted Elmira's momentum. Down 15-11, an EC service error and an ace by the Cardinals widened the gap back to six points and sparked a 7-3 Fisher run that put the set out of reach.

News and Notes

• Friday's postseason appearance was the first for the Soaring Eagles since 2015.
• Fisher had a 12-to-4 advantage in aces, but Elmira had more blocks (3-to-1).
• Terry and Sauschuck each had five kills to lead Elmira.
• Sauschuck and Smith each finished with a match-high two blocks.
• Kassi Hastings '21 posted a double-double with 11 assists and a match-high-tying 12 digs.
• In her last match as a Soaring Eagle, libero Cassie Potter '20 picked up five digs, and fellow senior Sabrina Didas '20 played in the opening set.