ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on the first day of the University of Rochester Invitational, Friday. The Tigers bounced back from a 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-18) loss to Buffalo State with a 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 18-25, 15-9) victory over Keuka.
 
RIT 3, Keuka 2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 18-25, 15-9)

• Senior setter Sydney Neff totaled 37 assists, 11 digs and five service aces.
• Senior libero Hailey Blixt added a match-high 18 digs, while first-year outside hitter Macie Jolliffe added 13 digs.
• Graduate student outside hitter Emelia Mislan put down a team-high 10 kills on .412 hitting.
• Tied, 8-8, in the first, Keuka took a 12-9 lead with a 4-1 run, before RIT retook the lead, 13-12, with four-consecutive points. The Tigers held a brief 17-16 lead, but Keuka won five of the next six points to build a 21-18 lead to put the set out of reach.
• Keuka took an early 5-4 lead in the second before a 7-1 Tiger run yielded an 11-6 lead. The Wolves got back within two, 11-9, but five-consecutive RIT points pushed the Tigers to a 15-9 lead. RIT led, 22-14, before Keuka pulled back within a point, 22-21, with a 7-0 run, but the Tigers scored the next three points to earn the set.
• Tied, 4-4, in the third, RIT rode a 10-5 run to a 14-8 lead. The Wolves scored two points to pull back within four, but the Tigers used a 9-2 run to take a 23-12 lead en route the win.
• RIT opened a 6-3 lead in the fourth, but Keuka rode an 8-3 surge to an 11-9 lead. The Tigers tied the game, 12-12, but Keuka took a 19-13 lead with a 7-1 run and held off a late Tiger rally to force a deciding fifth set.
• RIT jumped out to a 4-2 lead before riding a 7-1 run to a decisive 11-3 advantage it would not relinquish. 

BUFFALO STATE 3, RIT 0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-18)

• RIT led, 7-5, in the first, but a 14-2 Buffalo State run staked the Bengals to a 19-9 lead. Buffalo State notched six of the final seven points to close the first set.
• The Bengals used a 10-3 run in the second set to open a 12-6 lead. RIT pulled back within five, 14-9, but Buffalo State pulled away with a 9-5 run for a 23-14 lead it would not relinquish.
• RIT opened the third with an 8-6 lead, but the Bengals bounced back with a 6-1 run to build a 12-9 edge. Leading by two, 17-15, Buffalo State finished the match with an 8-3 run to earn the win. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT takes on the host Yellow Jackets on Saturday (Sept. 9) at 2:00 p.m.