Women's Volleyball | 11/3/2018 4:44:00 PM
Box Score Box |
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HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Second-seeded Nazareth prevailed in a four-set women's volleyball match against third-seeded St. John Fisher Saturday to advance to Sunday's Empire 8 Conference championship match. The Golden Flyers (22-12 overall) will play top-seeded Stevens at 12 p.m. for the conference title. The winner gains an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Nazareth won by scores of 25-15, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23 to defeat the Cardinals (17-16) for the second time this season. Senior outside hitter
Carmen Sapp pounded out 17 kills and sophomore
Savannah Bothner had 20 digs to lift the Golden Flyers. Senior
Madison Joseph added nine kills,
Kelsey Milligan had eight kills and six blocks and junior
Melissa Newcomb had six kills. Sophomore setter
Jessica Barry totaled 38 assists and senior
Celia Cordero had 16 digs and an ace on match point.
The Golden Flyers dominated the first two sets as Sapp had 12 of her kills. Nazareth never trailed in the first set and, after surrendering the first point of the second, raced to a 19-13 lead. Fisher closed to within 22-19 late in the set, but a kill by Sapp and a pair of Fisher hitting errors ended the frame.
After Fisher won set three, Nazareth led early on in the fourth before Fisher rallied. The Cardinals went ahead 17-15, but Nazareth proved resilient as lkills by freshman
McKenzie Hart and Newcomb tied the score at 19-19. Fisher went up 23-22, but Nazareth scored the final three points to end the match. Milligan's kill tied the score at 23-23, then
Madison Joseph delivered a kill for the 24th point. Following a Fisher timeout, Cordero stepped up for the match-clinching ace -- Nazareth's only ace of the match -- to send the Golden Flyers to Sunday's championship match.
Nazareth hit .185 (48-20-151) for the match, while Fisher managed only .104 (42-25-163).
Sunday's title match will be a rematch of last year's E8 championship in which Stevens beat the Golden Flyers in three sets. The Ducks also defeated the Golden Flyers in three sets earlier this season.
