Women's Volleyball loses, 3-2, at Clarkson in Liberty League Quarters

POTSDAM, N.Y. – The RIT women's volleyball team dropped a tight, 3-2 (17-25, 26-24, 25-20, 20-25, 15-11) decision at Clarkson in the Liberty League Tournament Quarterfinals, Tuesday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT won the first five points of the match on its way to an 8-2 lead, including two service aces by first-year Jenell Hall. Clarkson drew within three, 16-13, but the Tigers put together a 5-2 run to retake a 21-15 and later scored four-straight points, including a pair of kills by first-year Macie Jolliffe, to close an eight-point opening win.
• Tied, 5-5, in the second, Clarkson scored four-consecutive points to kick off a 6-2 run for an 11-7 lead. RIT scored the next five points, including back-to-back kills by senior Grace Phelan, to start a 7-1 run for a 14-12 edge. The Golden Knights rode a 5-2 run to a 17-16 lead, but the Tigers bounced back with a 4-1 run for a 20-18 lead. Later tied, 22-22, the Tigers moved ahead on a Clarkson attack error, but the Golden Knights forced set point with back-to-back kills. Senior Sydney Neff retied the score with a kill, but Clarkson won the final two points to even the match, 1-1.
• RIT held a four-point lead on four occasions early in the third, including 10-6, before a Clarkson put together a 5-1 run to knot the score, 11-11. Later tied, 13-13, the Tigers scored four-consecutive points, including two Phelan kills and a service ace by first-year Jada Lee, but the Golden Knights answered with a 7-1 run to take a 20-18 lead. Later leading 22-20, Clarkson notched the final three points to close the set and a 2-1 lead.
• Clarkson jumped out to a 9-5, fourth-set lead, but RIT responded with seven-straight points to kick off a 10-3 run for a 15-12 lead. The Golden Knights came back to tie the score, 18-18, but RIT scored seven of the final nine points, including a pair of kills each by graduate student Emelia Mislan and junor Samantha Cox, to earn the five-point victory and force a deciding set.
• Clarkson opened the fifth with an 8-2 surge and later led, 11-3. However, RIT put together and 8-2 run, capped by five-straight points, to pull within two, 13-11, but the Golden Knights responded with a pair of kills to close the match. 

MATCH NOTES

• Jolliffe led all attackers with a career-high 18 kills to go along with 14 digs.
• Three other players – Mislan, Phelan and junior Cat Vento – each finished with 12 kills apiece.
• Neff was credited with a season-high 53 assists to go along with nine digs, while directing the Tiger attack to a season-high 67 kills.
• Senior Hailey Blixt led all players with a career-high 28 digs.
• RIT finished the season with an 11-22 record, including a 3-5 conference mark to earn the sixth seed for the Liberty League Tournament.
• Third-seeded Clarkson moves on to play second-seeded William Smith in Friday's semifinals.