SUNY Geneseo

GENESEO, N.Y. - The SUNY Geneseo women's volleyball team stayed unbeaten in Empire 8 play on Saturday, sweeping Elmira 3-0 on the road to improve to 10-6 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Cory Elder highlighted the offensive end for the Knights, putting down 10 kills on 10 swings for a perfect hitting percentage.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Geneseo opened the first set quickly, with Jessica Macken serving the first three points, including two straight aces, after a kill by Sophie Hunter. The Knights built a 12-4 lead on a four-point run with Gianna Lucchi at the service line, which included a block by Cory Elder, a kill from Kate Barba, a Lucchi ace and a kill from Elder. Geneseo pulled away with a 5-0 run, from 12-6 to 17-6, behind kills from Alicia Acevedo, Elder and Hunter, plus an ace from Brooke Borkowski. McKenna Callari served the final four points, with a Zooey Gagnier kill and three Elmira errors, to close the set 25-9. Geneseo hit .476 in the set.
• Geneseo and Elmira traded points early in the second set before Callari took over the serve at 2-2 and ran off six straight points. Dyllan Thomas had two blocks in the stretch, one of them shared with Barba, and Barba added two kills to make it 8-2. Elmira cut the lead to 14-11, but Callari went back to the line and Geneseo scored five of the next six points, led by two Barba kills and a Callari ace, to lead 18-12. Barba finished the set with six kills, adding two more late, and Finnly Pas'cal put down the final kill to close the set 25-16.
• Elmira led for much of the third set, going up 11-8 at one point and 17-15 later. Geneseo answered with a 7-0 run, from 17-15 to 22-17, that was the difference in the match. Hunter put down three kills in the stretch, Elder served five of the seven points, including an ace, and Elmira added three attack errors. Hunter and Barba each added a kill down the stretch, and Macken served an ace to close the match 25-19.

QUICK FACTS:

• Kate Barba led the Knights with 11 kills and hit .400.
• Cory Elder recorded 10 kills on 10 attempts without an error in two sets of play.
• Jessica Macken dished out 20 assists and served three aces, with Gianna Lucchi adding 12 assists.
• McKenna Callari led the defense with 13 digs.
• Geneseo hit .318 as a team, compared to Elmira's -.013.