From University of Rochester Athletics
For only the second time in the brief history of the
event, Rochester ran the table at the New York Regional Challenge
by winning all four of its matches. The Yellowjackets completed the
sweep with victories over Stevens Institute of Technology and
Elmira College on Saturday afternoon.
The Stevens Match:
The victory over the host Ducks was significant for the
Yellowjackets. Stevens entered the match at 28-5 overall and among
others receiving votes in the current Division III Coaches' Poll.
Rochester won the match, 25-15, 17-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-13. The win
is Rochester's third victory over a New Jersey-based opponent
in the NY Regional.
Three players had double figures in kills. Jennie Ford and
Emma Gira had 14 apiece. Shira Katz had 10. Annie Fredrickson
supplied eight and Xiaoyi Li had four. Ashley Hunter had 19 digs,
Li had 14, Ford and Meghan Connor had 12 apiece.
Ford and Trystam Carr had three service aces each. Li
registered 41 assists, one ace, and one block assist. Emma Gira had
a block assist and Katz had a solo block.
In the first set, Rochester led, 5-1. Stevens closed within
6-4, before Rochester ran off six of the next seven points. Two
kills by Ford helped the Yellowjackets extend the lead to 18-8 with
Li assisting on four of the points in the pullaway.
Stevens bounced back jumping in front 10-2 in the second set.
Ford served four straight points, the last two on aces to get
Rochester within 12-9. Stevens got it back to eight points and
eventually built a 10-point lead.
Game three was tight as well. Stevens cut into a Rochester
lead, drawing within 12-11. Rochester went on an extended run,
eventually boosting the lead to 24-16 after two kills by Katz.
Stevens made it tight with five straight points before the
Yellowjackets could hold on.
Facing a must-win in game four, Stevens forged into a 15-8
lead. Two aces by Carr plus kills by Emma Gira and Katz got
Rochester within 16-13. After a timeout and down 20-16, Rochester
scored four straight, two on kills by Ford. The Yellowjackets tied
the score at 20-20 and 21-21. Stevens called time and that led to a
game-ending 4-1 run.
Exhaustion on both sides of the net played a role in game
five. Neither team hit in positive numbers. Rochester led, 12-6,
but four mistakes led to a 7-0 Stevens run and a 13-12 deficit. The
Ducks then made three errors which gave Rochester the 15-13 edge it
needed to seal the match victory.
The Elmira Match
Rochester defeated the Soaring Eagles, 25-19, 25-21, 25-20.
It is the fifth straight win for the Yellowjackets and boosts their
record to 16-17 heading into the UAA Championships next
weekend.
Jennie Ford had eight kills and 15 digs. Xiaoyi Li had five
kills, 27 assists, six digs, and two block assists. Emma Gira had
12 kills, one block solo, one block assist. Nina Baek had five
kills. Michaela Chan had three kills, one of them the match winner.
Ashley Hunter had 15 digs and two service aces. Trystam Carr
served four aces.
In set one, Elmira led, 7-4 before Rochester went on a 4-0
run and it was back and forth after that. The Eagles nudged in
front, 14-12, but Rochester answered with seven straight points,
four coming on Elmira errors.
Ford's ace put Rochester ahead, 13-8, in set two. Elmira
scored six in a row, on three kills and three Rochester errors.
With the score tied at 18-18, an ace by Li, then kills by Ford
and Gira put the Yellowjackets ahead, 22-18.
Set three had the early look of a runaway as Rochester built
leads of 9-3, 15-5, 19-9, and 24-13. Elmira bolstered itself and
scored seven consecutive points to move within striking distance at
24-20. The match ended when Li set a kill for Chan.