CORTLAND, N.Y. (September 1, 2007) – On Friday, the 23rd-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team posted a pair of victories at the SUNY Cortland Red Dragon Classic in Cortland, N.Y. With the two wins, Stevens advanced to Saturday's championship pool where it will face SUNY New Paltz at noon.

After losing the first two games to SUNY Fredonia by identical 25-30 scores, Stevens rallied to win three games in a row to pull out the match. The finals scores were 25-30, 25-30, 30-22, 30-21, 15-6. Junior outside hitter Melanie Volk led the Ducks with 15 kills and 16 digs. Junior middle blocker Jessica Gardner registered 10 kills, seven service aces and three blocks. Junior outside hitter Summer Hamilton posted 10 kills to go along with her two blocks. Senior outside hitter Dawn Herring recorded eight kills and 16 digs in the victory.

Junior setter/right-side hitter Melissa Rhode led the Ducks in assists with 31 and posted nine kills with nine digs. Stevens also received solid performances from freshmen Julia Reilly and Sara Budar. Reilly, who is an outside hitter/libero, recorded 24 digs. Budar amassed 21 assists and seven digs. 

In match two of pool B, Stevens faced Swarthmore College. After losing game one 27-30, the Ducks recovered to go on and win three straight games (30-18, 30-14, 30-13) to wrap up day one of the Red Dragon Classic. Strong performances by upperclassmen Gardner, Rhode, Herring, and Hamilton helped pull the Ducks to their second victory. Gardner tallied 14 kills, two aces and a pair of blocks. Once again, Rhode led the Ducks in assists (30) to add to her seven kills, 10 digs and three blocks. Herring posted nine kills and 15 digs. Hamilton finished second in kills (13) and recorded three blocks. Freshman right-side hitter Maggie Majcher chipped in with nine kills.

Budar (19 assists, six digs), Reilly (17 digs) and Volk (eight kills, 11 digs) all turned in solid performances. Meanwhile, junior middle blocker Alexa Bianchi had three blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Laura Johnson registered two kills.

New Paltz advanced to the championship pool with 3-1 victories over Montclair State University and the University of Rochester last night. The winner of the Stevens-New Paltz contest will advance to Saturday's championship match to face the winner of Cortland and Nazareth College at 4 p.m. The losers of those two matches will play in the consolation round at 2 p.m.