SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Skidmore College volleyball team opened the 2023 season with a win in four sets (25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 25-20) against UMass Boston on Friday evening to begin play at Springfield College.
 

• All four sets were decided by five points or fewer.
• Ella Harris led the way for the Thoroughbreds. She had 14 kills, a career high, on 28 swings with four errors for a .357 hitting percentage. She also had a match high six blocks including the squad's lone solo block.
• Rudi Reyes and Madison Manning dropped five kills apiece.
• Noa Berger tallied 22 assists. Emma Ferrigno had seven, and Athena Braverman picked up two.
• Braverman also had 10 digs while Ferrigno had nine. Berger racked up seven.
• Skidmore took advantage of 35 Beacon attack errors and 13 service errors while committing just 27 total errors of its own.
• Despite the tight scores, the first two sets were relatively straightforward with just one lead change and five ties combined, which gave way to a commanding 2-0 Skidmore lead.
• The Thoroughbreds looked to put the match away in the third set and reached match point before Boston got three straight points to force a fourth game.  
• Skidmore kept its foot on the pedal in the fourth set with a 5-1 run and a 7-1 run to get to within striking distance of the clinch.
• Berger capped it off with a service ace, one of seven on the evening for Skidmore. Jo Blanco and Manning led with two apiece.
• NEXT UP: Skidmore will close the weekend trip to Springfield on Saturday with matches against Rivier (1 p.m.) and Keene State (3:30 p.m.).