MARCY, NY (nazathletics.com) - Nazareth Women's Volleyball (8-16, 5-6) clinched a Empire 8 Tournament berth on the final day of regular-season action, defeating SUNY Poly (3-24, 2-9), 3-1, Saturday afternoon inside Wildcat Field House. The win marks Nazareth's fifth consecutive victory and earns the Golden Flyers the No. 7 seed in the upcoming conference championship tournament and will travel to #2 Geneseo next Saturday for a First Round Empire 8 matchup.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Nazareth jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the opening set before SUNY Poly tied it at 4-4. The Golden Flyers responded with a four-point run, including kills from Leah Fusilli and Alana Lucey and an ace from Lucey, to take an 8-4 advantage. SUNY Poly closed within 19-18, but Nazareth pulled away with back-to-back aces from Fusilli and a final kill from Sloane Bell for a 25-20 win.
- The second set featured several lead changes, with the teams tied at 12-12 before Nazareth gained a 14-13 advantage on a kill from Bell. SUNY Poly later went ahead 19-17, but Nazareth answered with a 5-1 run, highlighted by kills from Lucey and Macy Quibell and a block from Lucey and Fusilli, to take a 22-20 lead. Quibell finished the set with two kills, including the final point in a 25-23 victory.
- Nazareth fell behind 5-2 early in the third set and trailed by as many as five points at 10-5. The Golden Flyers battled back to tie the score at 14-14, then used kills from Lake Ziober and an ace from Fusilli to take an 18-19 lead. The teams traded points before SUNY Poly scored four of the final five points to claim a 25-22 win.
- SUNY Poly built an early 9-5 lead in the fourth set and extended the advantage to 14-7. Nazareth began its comeback with kills from Lucey and Ziober, along with a pair of blocks, to pull within 15-12. After SUNY Poly moved ahead 16-14, Lucey delivered three consecutive service aces to put the Golden Flyers in front 18-16. Nazareth continued to build its lead with kills from Fusilli and Quibell, who recorded the final three points of the match in a 25-18 set win and 3-1 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Leah Fusilli led the Golden Flyers with 16 kills, adding nine digs, three service aces and a block for a team-best 19.5 points. Fusilli finished her final regular season with double-digit kills in 16 contests.
- Alana Lucey recorded 11 kills in back-to-back contests, hitting .400 with five blocks and four service aces this afternoon. Lucey ranks first (1.28) in conference play and second (.95) overall for blocks per set.
- Macy Quibell also registered 11 kills for the second consecutive day, setting a new career high in each of the freshman middle blocker's last two performances.
- Gretchen Klossner led the Golden Flyer backrow with 18 digs, her third consecutive contest with double figure digs.
- Chelsea Plummer also added 14 kills for Nazareth, her third consecutive contest with double digit digs after setting a new career-best with 28 yesterday at Utica.
UP NEXT
Nazareth earned the No. 7 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Championship Tournament and will face No. 2 SUNY Geneseo in a road quarterfinal matchup, Saturday, Nov. 7. Start time will be announced at a later date.
To stay updated on all things Nazareth Athletics, follow us on Instagram,
X and
Facebook for the latest news and highlights.
