Box Score

Potsdam, N.Y.-- The Skidmore College volleyball team beat top-seed Clarkson 3-2 (25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 15-8) to win the Liberty League championship, Saturday.  It was the program's fourth league championship and first since 2000.
 
The Thoroughbreds finish the regular season with a 27-8 record, winning their last 12 matches, including two over Clarkson (28-8), the region's top-ranked team.
 
Both teams will now await the NCAA Tournament committee to find out if they will be selected to participate in this year's championship tournament. The Liberty League does not have an automatic bid for its conference tournament until 2013.

Saturday's championship match was an odd one at times, as Clarkson came out with a solid advantage in the first set, 16-12. However, Elise Finnerty was able to get a kill for Skidmore to pull the Thoroughbreds back within three, and then Mallory Mendelsohn amazingly served out the set for a 25-16 victory as the Knights searched for answers at the break.

In the second set, Clarkson had a small advantage midway through the game, but Skidmore once again rallied to take a 25-23 victory off a block from Corinne Palmer and Mendelsohn. However, Clarkson had found its rhythm on offense and started to take control, winning a pair of sets back-to-back by the score of 25-20, highlighted by a .432 hitting percentage in the fourth set (19-3-37). That momentum could not be carried into the fifth and deciding set, though, as Clarkson hit -.158 with eight errors.

For Skidmore, Kelley Vershbow was selected as the tournament's MVP with 19 kills (and 39 total in the two-day event). Also making the All-Tournament team were Corinne Palmer, who had 15 kills against only a single error in 29 attempts to go along with five total blocks, and Mallory Mendelsohn, who produced 45 assists and four aces on Saturday. Elise Finnerty also added 14 kills and four blocks for the Thoroughbreds. Sam Friedman topped Skidmore with 16 digs.