From University of Rochester Athletics
After opening with a quick 3-0 sweep of Keuka College, the University of Rochester volleyball posted two late rallies in sets three and four in the nightcap to defeat Buffalo State 3-1 on the opening day of competition at the UR Volleyball Invitational.
The two wins push Rochester's winning streak to four games, moving the Yellowjackets to 4-1 on the young season. Keuka falls to 4-1 with the loss while Buffalo State's record sits at 2-5.
During the opener, the Yellowjackets controlled sets one and three with the visiting Wolves hanging around in the second set, but Rochester was able to sweep the match 25-18, 25-20 and 25-11.
Ruby Moore led the Yellowjackets with 10 kills, 5 digs and 2 blocks. Sonia McGaffigan finished with seven kills and three blocks while Ashley Cook added six kills and seven digs.
Alexia Nelms and Katie Westerheim shared setting duties in the opening match, with Nelms handing 13 assists and Westerheim adding 11. Lydia Weeks led the defense with 10 digs. Areti Tsirikaki and Myla Nover-Estes each also chipped in four kills.
During the second match of the day, the Yellowjackets came out on fire, blowing out Buffalo State 25-16 in the opening set. A five-point run led by a pair of Megan Cahall service aces boosted UR ahead 9-2 and the Yellowjackets never looked back in the set.
Rochester struggled offensively in the second set, recording ten attack errors to only seven kills, leading to a 25-17 Bengals win, tying the match.
In the third, Buffalo State went up early, but Rochester battled back, tying the score at 14-14 after kills from McGaffigan and Nover-Estes. The teams traded the next six points to reach 17-all, before Rochester edged ahead by two after a Bengals service error and Moore service ace.
Trailing by two, the Bengals made a big run, scoring six straight points to go up 23-19. Ella Wittman provided four kills in the stretch while Eden Harrison added one along with an ace from Maddie Hannon.
UR got back two points to trim the lead to 23-21, but a service error gave Buffalo State a set point. Rochester rallied, thanks to a couple of Bengals miscues and a kill from Nover-Estes tied the set at 24-24.
The Yellowjackets fended off two more set points and then used a kill from Moore, an ace from Westerheim and a Nover-Estes kill to finish off the come-from-behind set win by a 28-26 score.
In the fourth, Rochester again fell behind early, trailing 14-6.
The Yellowjackets climbed back in the set earning points in six of seven consecutive points, cutting the lead to 15-12. Two kills from Ashley Cook and points from Moore and Nelms aided the rally.
Buffalo State maintained a multi-point lead until an assisted block by Moore and Cook cut the lead to one at 19-18. The Bengals were able to fend off the Yellowjackets for the time being though, scoring three straight points to surge ahead 22-18, leading to a UR timeout.
After splitting the next four points, Buffalo State held a 24-20 lead in the set, looking to push the match to a winner-take-all fifth set.
Rochester refused to let that happen, scoring four straight points to head to extras in the second straight set. A McGaffigan kill started the rally and after a Buffalo State error, Nover-Estes and Cook both smacked kills to make the score 24-24.
Samantha Coakley recorded the next point for the Bengals to earn another set point, but a service error gave the Yellowjackets the tying point right back.
Nelms then set up kills for Cook and Moore to finish off the set, putting Rochester up 27-25, winning the match in four games.
Moore finished with a career-high 13 kills for the Yellowjackets and added 7 digs and 4 aces. McGaffigan finished with 11 kills and three aces, while Nover-Estes and Cook each had 10 kills. Nover-Estes added seven digs and three aces, as the Yellowjackets piled up 14 total aces in the win.
Weeks picked up 18 digs and had six assists, while Nelms dished out 30 assists and added five digs. Bri Jones chipped in three kills on five swings and had two blocks.