WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Senior Danielle Synowski had a career-high 22 kills Saturday to lift Nazareth to a five-set women's volleyball victory over Marywood at the Lycoming Invitational before the Golden Flyers dropped a 3-0 decision to RIT to close out the tournament.
Nazareth (9-8) beat Marywood by scores of 25-21, 17-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-12. Against RIT, the Golden Flyers lost in straight sets – 25-20, 25-17 and 25-21.
Synowski's 22 kills came with eight hitting errors in 56 attempts. She had two kills and two digs in the decisive fifth set. Melissa Newcomb added three of her eight kills in the fifth set as the Golden Flyers prevailed.
Junior Jessica Barry (21) and freshman Danielle Bernstein (16) combined for 37 assists and sophomore McKenzie Hart added 16 digs.
Nazareth had to rally from a 20-15 deficit to take the fourth set and force the winner-take-all fifth set. A Marywood service error was followed by a kill by Delaney Martin to square the set at 23-23. The score was still tied at 24 before Nazareth won the set on a kill by Newcomb and a service ace by Hart.
In the fifth set, Nazareth surged to an 8-4 lead, but Marywood rallied to tie the set at 12-12. Newcomb had kills for the next two points, then a Marywood hitting error ended the match.
In the RIT match, Newcomb and Synowski combined for 13 kills and Barry added 22 assists and freshman Kelsey Ludwig led the defense with 12 digs.
The Golden Flyers are at Oswego Wednesday for a non-conference match before returning to Empire 8 play Friday vs. Alfred in Kidera Gymnasium and at Houghton Saturday.
