HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Elmira College women's volleyball program traveled to Houghton on Saturday for an Empire 8 Conference matchup against the Highlanders inside The Nielsen Center. EC would drop a 3-0 decision to wrap up its opening weekend of conference action.
 
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 0, Houghton 3
LOCATION: Houghton, N.Y. | The Nielsen Center
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (5-12, 0-2 E8), Houghton (6-9, 3-1 E8)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Highlanders opened the first set with a 5-0 run and would later take an 8-1 lead against the Soaring Eagles. EC tallied back-to-back points to end the run for Houghton as Delaney Johnson '23 notched a kill before Johnson and Calli Vocke '23 teamed up for a block to make it 8-3. Samantha Garry '25 and Maddie Boucher '24 would both record kills late in the set for Elmira as Houghton would secure the 25-10 victory.

Elmira rallied from a 3-0 deficit to open the second set as Garry delivered a kill and later teamed up with Boucher to block an attempt by Houghton to knot the score 3-3. Amelia Martin '23 would record a pair of kills midway through the set before the Highlanders went on a 4-0 run to increase their lead to 17-7. Trailing 24-12 in the set, the Purple & Gold would go on a 5-0 run to fight off the set point against Houghton as Morgan Richardson '25 delivered a kill while Cassidy Ryan '24 added a service ace to make it 24-17. Following a timeout by the Highlanders, an attack error by Elmira would secure the 25-17 victory.

A 3-0 rally early in the third set by Elmira pulled the Purple & Gold to within a pair of points following an ace by Martin and a kill by Boucher. Martin would make her presence felt again midway through the set as she delivered another kill followed by an ace to trim the Houghton advantage to 16-12. Vocke notched a kill off an assist from Asia Curkendall '25 late in the set to make it 20-14 before a 5-0 run by the Highlanders secured the 25-14 victory and a 3-0 sweep for the home team.

UP NEXT:
The Purple & Gold wrap up their season-opening 16-match road trip on Wednesday, October 5 against E8 foe Alfred at 6:00 P.M. before hosting Utica inside Speidel Gymnasium on Friday, October 7 at 7:00 P.M.