SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's volleyball team fired a season-high 20 service aces and hit .290 to defeat RIT 3-1 (25-12, 25-14, 22-25, 25-11) Saturday afternoon in its Dig Pink Match at Williamson Sports Center. The Thoroughbreds improved to 11-10 overall and 2-4 in Liberty League play, while the Tigers dropped to 7-16 and 1-6.
- With two matches remaining, Skidmore is tied with St. Lawrence for the final Liberty League playoff spot. The teams meet in Saratoga next Friday, Oct. 30 with the winner clinching a postseason berth.
- Natalie Pedersen powered Skidmore with a team-high 13 kills on .348 hitting and six service aces. Pedersen surpassed 200 kills for the season.
- Catriona Hoelperl distributed 33 assists and matched Pedersen with six aces while adding three kills on .750 hitting.
- Katy O'Connell finished with eight kills on .500 hitting and two block assists, while Oia Hughes contributed four kills on .400 hitting and three block assists.
- Cece Kilroy added five kills, four service aces and a match-high four blocks, including one solo block and three block assists. Chloe Heitman chipped in seven kills and two aces, while Marlowe McIntyre led Skidmore with seven digs to go along with five assists and two aces.
- The Thoroughbreds held a 42-34 advantage in kills and hit .290 compared to .125 for RIT. Skidmore also finished with a 20-5 advantage in service aces and a 6-3 edge in blocks. The 20 aces surpassed the team's previous season high of 15.
- Skidmore seized control of the opening set with six consecutive points behind Hoelperl's serve, turning an 11-7 lead into a 17-7 advantage. The Thoroughbreds hit .429 with 13 kills and closed out the 25-12 victory.
- The Thoroughbreds continued their efficient hitting in the second, recording 13 kills on .429 hitting for the second straight set. After RIT pulled within 11-9, Skidmore rattled off four consecutive points, highlighted by a Pedersen ace, to stretch its lead to 15-9. The Thoroughbreds maintained their advantage and scored the final three points to claim the 25-14 win and a two-set lead.
- RIT responded in the third, using a five-point run to turn a 5-5 tie into a 10-5 lead before extending its advantage to 13-7. Skidmore battled back behind its serving and defense, eventually pulling even at 17 before the teams traded points down the stretch. O'Connell delivered a kill to tie the score at 22, but the Tigers claimed the final three points to take the set 25-22 and extend the match.
- Skidmore answered emphatically in the fourth, rattling off nine consecutive points to break a 4-4 tie and surge ahead 13-4. Kilroy served for eight straight points during the decisive stretch, including an ace. The Thoroughbreds continued to pull away, holding RIT to five kills and a -.250 hitting percentage in the frame before O'Connell delivered the final kill to clinch the 25-11 victory.
- Anna Wasula led RIT with a match-high 15 kills, while Isabel Leon recorded 22 assists and Isabelle Swain collected nine digs.
UP NEXT
Skidmore remains home Friday, Oct. 30 to host St. Lawrence in another Liberty League matchup at 6:30 p.m. The contest will serve as the Thoroughbreds' Morgan's Message Match. Skidmore then travels to Vassar on Saturday, Oct. 31 for a 1 p.m. match to complete its league slate.
