Bryn Mawr, Pa. – The Elmira women's volleyball team continued action at the Bryn Mawr Tri-Match on Saturday, battling through a pair of matches against Bryn Mawr College and Gwynedd Mercy University. The Soaring Eagles showed resilience throughout the day, highlighted by strong individual performances and a late rally in the third set against Gwynedd Mercy.
MATCH 1 | vs. Gwynedd Mercy, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 27-25)
LEADERS
Averleigh McFarlan led the Soaring Eagles offensively with 10 kills, while Aimee Bridges added six kills and two blocks. Vicki Titus recorded six digs, while Julie Smith contributed seven digs. Zoie Karcz paced the offense with 17 assists, and Katie Witt tallied seven service aces.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Elmira battled throughout the opening set, keeping an early pace at 4-3 before Gwynedd Mercy used a 7-0 run to take a 10-3 lead. The Soaring Eagles continued to fight back, with kills from Bridges, McFarlan, Titus, and Devonshire helping EC stay within striking distance. EC closed the gap to 18-11 before Katie Witt recorded three consecutive service aces to help the Soaring Eagles pull within six at 24-18. Ultimately, Elmira fell short in set one 25-9.
The second set opened with Elmira taking an early 3-0 lead before Gwynedd Mercy responded. EC continued to battle, with kills from McFarlan, Devonshire, and Bridges helping the Soaring Eagles cut the deficit to within one 19-18. Witt added a service ace during the late push, but Gwynedd Mercy closed out the set 25-21.
Elmira put together its strongest push in the third set, which featured 10 ties and four lead changes. After trailing 8-5, the Soaring Eagles rallied to tie the set at 14 behind a Bridges service ace and two McFarlan kills. Gwynedd Mercy later took a 24-19 lead, but Elmira answered with six straight points to tie the set at 24. Three consecutive Witt service aces and a Bridges block fueled the comeback, before Bridges added a kill to give Elmira a 25-24 advantage. The Soaring Eagles continued to battle through extra points before falling, 27-25.
MATCH 2 | vs. Bryn Mawr, 3-0 (25-9, 25-20, 25-18)
LEADERS
Aimee Bridges led the Soaring Eagles with three service aces while adding two kills, four digs, and two blocks. Morgan Sica, Averleigh McFarlan, and Madalyn Devonshire each contributed two kills. Erin Bracken recorded five digs and four assists while adding two service aces.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Bryn Mawr jumped out to an early 4-0 advantage before Sica put the Soaring Eagles on the board with a kill. Elmira continued to battle, with a Bryn Mawr error helping EC cut the deficit to 7-3. The Owls then used a nine-point run to build a 12-3 lead. A kill from Sica and a service ace from Bracken helped the Soaring Eagles find a pair of points late in the set, while Devonshire added kills of her own. Ultimately, Bryn Mawr closed out the opening set 25-9.
EC came out stronger in the second set, trading points with the Owls early. A kill from Devonshire gave EC its first point before Bryn Mawr answered with a 5-0 run. The Soaring Eagles continued to battle, with kills from McFarlan helping Elmira remain within striking distance. After Bryn Mawr extended its lead to 14-7, Elmira responded with a stretch of its own. A kill from McFarlan, EC close the gap to 17-9. EC continued to chip away at the deficit late in the set. A service ace from Titus and a series of Bryn Mawr errors brought Elmira within four at 24-20, but the Owls secured the final point to take the second set 25-20.
Bryn Mawr again established an early lead in the third set, taking a 6-2 advantage. Sica and Ellora Bynoe answered with kills as Elmira looked to keep pace. The Owls eventually extended their lead to 11-2 before the Soaring Eagles began to find momentum. A kill from Sica and Bynoe helped EC trim the deficit. Elmira continued its push late in the set, putting together a six-point stretch that included two service aces from Bridges and another from Bracken. Bridges added an attack error by Bryn Mawr to help the Soaring Eagles pull within five at 23-18. The Owls, however, closed out the set with the next two points to secure the 3-0 victory.
UP NEXT
The Soaring Eagles return home on Wednesday, September 23 to host Penn College. The match is set for 6:00 PM in Speidel Gymnasium.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Elmira College Athletics, please visit athletics.elmira.edu. Follow us on Twitter - @ECSoaringEagles, Instagram - @ecsoaringeagles, YouTube - @ECSoaringEagles, and Facebook by searching Elmira College Athletics.
