NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Skidmore College volleyball team comes out of the opening weekend of the 2016 season with a 2-2 record after falling to Rivier and Emerson at the NYU Labor Day Invitational Saturday afternoon. Rivier came out on top of the Thoroughbreds, 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-18), and Emerson won a five-set thriller, 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 16-25, 25-14, 8-15). The Thoroughbreds will take on Ramapo and Middlebury in the Union Invitational starting Sept. 9.
 
Rivier rode a .355 hitting percentage in the first set to a three-set victory in game one. Brittany Osborn led the way for the Thoroughbreds with five kills. Marcella Familiar-Bolanos tied a game-high with 18 digs. Katy Ehnstrom led the Thoroughbreds with three blocks, and Rachel Licata recorded four kills and a block, hitting .286.
 
Molly McCormack and Lauren Silverman each recorded seven kills to lead the Raiders, who out-blocked the Thoroughbreds 12-4.
 
Game two against Emerson was a battle, with both teams trading wins through the first four sets. Down two sets to one, and 4-0 in set four, Skidmore went on a 25-10 tear the rest of the way, to force a deciding fifth set. A late 8-2 run by Emerson was enough for the victory.
 
Caite Canfield recorded a double-double for Skidmore, with 18 kills and 24 digs, adding three blocks. Lauren Wolters (27) and Baily Hutchins (26) had a combined 53 assists for the Thoroughbreds. Wolters also recorded five service aces.
 
Skidmore had a 59-41 advantage in kills, and an 81-57 edge in digs.