TROY, NY – Junior Jessica Barry handed out a career-high 65 assists and senior Melissa Newcomb recorded 20 kills as the Nazareth College women's volleyball team came back to post a 3-2 victory over Sage Friday night in the first Empire 8 match of the year.

Nazareth (7-5 overall, 1-0 E8) recorded a pair of close wins in the first two sets with wins of 25-23 and 28-26 to open up a 2-0 lead. Sage (3-13, 0-1) rebounded to win the third set 25-26 and forced the tiebreaker with a 25-19 win in the fourth set.

The Golden Flyers opened up a lead of 8-4 as the teams traded sides but Sage rallied back to tie the score late in the set. The teams traded points until Newcomb recorded two of her career-best kills total to close out the victory.

Only twice in school history has a setter recorded more than 65 assists with the most recent coming against Houghton in 2014 as Madi Wickens '17 handed out 68 as a sophomore. The school record for assists in a match was 70 set by Ashley Mokan '04 against Cortland in a five-set loss in the NCAA Tournament. Mokan had 65 against Rochester in 2003 and Elyse Monje '08 had 65 twice – once against Ithaca in 2004 and again against Allegheny in 2005.

Senior Danielle Synowski and Delaney Martin had double-doubles with 16 and 14 kills respectively and dig totals of 11 and 15. Barry added 10 digs as well for Nazareth.