OSWEGO, N.Y. -- A pair of tough opponents spoiled the final day of the Oswego State Invitational for the Elmira College women's volleyball team, as the Soaring Eagles fell to the host Lakers and the Golden Knights of Clarkson on Saturday afternoon.

Match 1
The Soaring Eagles (3-9) struggled to deal with the high-octane offense of Oswego State (8-3) in their first match of the afternoon, as the host Lakers floored 38 kills en route to a three-set victory. Despite holding the edge in blocks, 5-2, EC was unable to contain the duo of Melissa Lussier and Shauna O'Flaherty, who combined for 20 kills for the home side.

After falling behind the Lakers two-sets-to-none, the Purple and Gold launched a comeback bid in the third set but came up just shy of forcing a fourth set. Oswego State fended off EC's upset attempt to seal a 25-21 victory.

Lauren Smith '21 turned in an all-around performance for the Soaring Eagles, leading the team in kills (5), digs (13) and blocks (3). Freshman Amelia Martin '23 got the starting nod as EC's setter and posted seven assists to go along with a team-best three aces.

Match 2
In their second match of the day, the Purple and Gold challenged a Clarkson (10-0) squad that entered the contest with a spotless 9-0 record. Despite their best efforts, the Soaring Eagles could not match the Golden Knights .227 hitting percentage, falling in straight sets to the Golden Knights.

The opening frame of the match was the closest of the match, as EC recorded no hitting errors to hit a match-high .194 attack percentage. After some back-and-forth action early in the set, the Soaring Eagles pulled ahead by four at 14-10 following a 5-0 run that was started by a kill from Martin. Despite the advantage, the Golden Knights battled back and seized the lead at 21-20 to hold on for a 25-21 victory.

The Soaring Eagles were unable to recover from the opening set stumble, as Clarkson's attack, headlined by 12 kills from Kristin Werdine, sealed 25-12 and 25-13 victories in the final two sets of the afternoon.

Smith led the way for the Purple and Gold offensively with eight kills, while Kassi Hastings '21 tallied a team-high 16 assists.

News and Notes

• Smith's 13 digs against Oswego were a season-high.
• With 11 digs against Clarkson, Cassie Potter '20 has now tallied double-digit digs in three matches this season
• Lydia Milligan '21 totaled a season-best nine digs against Clarkson.
• For her performances over the weekend, Milligan was named to the All-Tournament Team.
• After tallying two blocks against the Golden Knights, Savannah Terry '21 leads the team with 21 blocks in 2019.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to Speidel Gymnasium on Wednesday, September 18, to open Empire 8 Conference play against Hartwick. First serve against the Hawks is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.