Stevens box | Alfred box | Updated stats
ALFRED, N.Y. -- Nazareth opened its Empire 8 Conference schedule Saturday by splitting a pair of matches at Alfred. After hanging close with Stevens for the first set, the Golden Flyers were swept by the Ducks in the opening match by scores of 25-23, 25-22, 25-14. After that, Nazareth dropped the first set against the winless Saxons, but recovered to win in four sets by scores of 23-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-23.

Stevens defeated Alfred earlier in the day to improve to 13-3 overall and 2-0 in E8 matches. Nazareth is 10-3 overall and 1-1 in the E8. The Saxons are 0-14, 0-2.

Against Stevens, senior Kelsey Milligan had 11 kills and three blocks for Nazareth and sophomore Jessica Barry had 31 assists and 11 digs. Senior Carmen Sapp added eight kills and Madison Joseph had seven.

For Stevens, Shelby Stewart had 11 kills, including seven in the opening set. Nazareth had a lead in the first set, before Stevens rallied to tie it up at 23-23. Stewart and Corinne Dougherty teamed up for a block for the 24th point and Stewart generated a kills on set point.

Savannah Bothner and Delaney Martin each had 11 digs and Celia Cordero had 10.

In the Alfred match, Nazareth recovered from a shaky first set in which the Golden Flyers had seven hitting errors. Junior Melissa Newcomb had 18 kills, including 12 in the final three sets. Martin added 11 kills and senior Margorie Didas added 10 and Bothner totaled 18 digs. Barry had 25 assists and Cordero added 19.