HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 28, 2008) – The 24th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team closed out the first weekend of Empire 8 play having gone a flawless 4-0 to stand on top of the leader board along with Nazareth College. The Ducks have now posted 45 consecutive wins versus conference foes, which extends back to the 2004 season when the program was part of the Skyline Conference. Overall, the team had a solid performance having totaled 151 kills, 30 aces, 159 digs and 50 blocks. The Ducks hit .271 as a team as they improve to 13-4 on the year.

Friday, September 26th
4 p.m. Nazareth def. Elmira 3-0
4 p.m. Hartwick def. Alfred 3-1 
6:30 p.m. Nazareth def. Alfred 3-0
6:30 p.m. Elmira def. Hartwick 3-2

 Sunday, September 28th
10 a.m. RIT def. Ithaca 3-2
12:30 p.m. RIT def. Utica 3-0        
12:30 p.m. Stevens def. St. John Fisher 3-0
3 p.m. St. John Fisher vs. Ithaca 3-2
3 p.m. Stevens vs. Utica 3-0

Nazareth def. Elmira 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22)
Picking up their first conference win of the 2008 season, the Golden Flyers were able to post a clean sweep of the Soaring Eagles from Elmira College. Nazareth College was led by junior setter Kate Zwickl (Chester, N.Y.), who dished out 24 assists and added eight digs in the win. Senior outside hitter Laura Persico (Ravena, N.Y.) landed nine kills and tallied six digs. Freshman right-side hitter Elizabeth Fisler (Penfield, N.Y.) notched four block assists as junior libero Mallorie Clary (Baltimore, Md.) came up big for the Golden Flyers having posted 19 digs. Junior outside hitter Carra Vanderstyne (Victor, N.Y.) chipped in with six kills and 13 digs.

For Elmira, freshman right-side hitter Brittany Adamson (Lockport, N.Y.) totaled seven kills on 24 attempts with no errors to produce a .292 hitting percentage. Freshman libero Katie Leo (Hicksville, N.Y) and senior outside hitter Susan Clark (Cooperstown, N.Y.) both lofted 15 digs apiece. Sophomore setter Tesia Kaczynski (Mansfield, Pa.) connected on 22 assists in the loss. 

Hartwick def. Alfred 3-1 (25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 25-11)
After a four-game battle, the Hawks of Hartwick College picked up its sixth win of the season (6-9) and first Empire 8 victory. Freshman outside hitter Laura Barone (Glen Gardner, N.J.) led the way with 14 kills and four digs. Senior outside hitter Kerry Sisson (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) accumulated eight kills and landed an outstanding seven service aces in the win. Junior outside hitter Darcy Dolge (LaGrande, Ore.) dished out 28 assists, while freshman middle blocker Courtney Desmond (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) added four block solos for the Hawks.

For Alfred, senior outside hitter Stephanie Troiano (Clifton Park, N.Y.) tallied eight kills and 13 digs in the loss as the Saxons fall to 1-7 on the year. Junior right-side hitter Danielle VanCott (Rochester, N.Y.) had five kills, while freshman outside hitter Emily Crosby (Fairport, N.Y.) connected on 13 assists and three digs. Sophomore middle hitter Tara Quigley (Bluepoint, N.Y.) finished the match with 10 digs and four total blocks.

Nazareth def. Alfred 3-0 (25-9, 25-16, 25-17)
The Golden Flyers ran their league record to 2-0 with a three-game sweep of the Saxons. Zwickl was once again true to form as she connected on 30 assists and added three aces. Perisco led the offensive attack with 10 kills, while freshman right-side hitter Leah Farrell (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) landed six kills. Junior middle blocker Katelyn Reed (Horseheads, N.Y.) had the defense of Alfred back on its heels as she put down six service aces. Junior libero Natasha Villane (Canandaigua, N.Y.) led Nazareth defensively having recorded 10 digs.

Troiano and Quigley both posted four kills as Crosby dished out seven assists. Quigley dominated the net having registered four block solos and nine block assists. Junior outside hitter Janelle Brandow (Dolgeville, N.Y.) finished the match with 12 digs.

Elmira def. Hartwick 3-2 (15-25, 25-27, 25-17, 25-15, 15-9)
After coming out strong in the first two games, the Hawks fell apart as they lost the final three games. Barone had a strong performance with her 12 kills and four digs. Sisson notched eight kills and seven digs as Dolge connected on 33 assists. Desmond continued to lead Hartwick defensively as she lofted 10 digs and recorded five total blocks. 

Clark led the team in kills (14) and added 10 digs in the loss. Kaczynski connected of 33 assists and lofted 13 digs. Freshman middle blocker Brittany Raykoske-raspe (Gloversville, N.Y.) finished with 13 kills and a pair of blocks, while Leo led the team defensively with 17 digs. After Day 1 of competition, the Soaring Eagles split their pair of matches and start the 2008 season off 1-1 in Empire 8 play.

Nazareth def. Hartwick 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-18)
Nazareth picked up its fourth-straight win and third conference victory having defeated Hartwick 3-0 on Day 2 of the Empire 8 Crossover. Vanderstyne and Farrell both registered four kills as Vanderstyne added a pair of service aces. Zwickl dished out 19 assists and landed five aces, while Persico totaled five kills. Defensively for the Golden Flyers, Clary tallied 13 digs as Fisler posted four total blocks.

For Hartwick, Sisson carried the offensive attack having recorded five kills and a pair of service aces. Desmond and junior outside hitter Cassie Dresser (Ovid, N.Y.) both registered four kills, while Dolge dished out 15 assists in the defeat. Dolge was also strong at the net having tallied five total blocks as freshman Lauren Mausert (Niskayuna, N.Y.) led defensively with 10 digs. 

Elmira def. Alfred 3-0 (25-12, 25-9, 25-10)
Elmira earned its second league victory of the year as it took down the Saxons in a three-game sweep. Clark led the Soaring Eagles offensively having notched nine kills and a service ace. Junior middle blocker Janice Embury (Perry, N.Y.) tallied six kills and three total blocks as Leo lofted nine digs in the win. Kaczynski connected on 23 assists and landed four aces for Elmira.

Leading Alfred was junior outside hitter Emily Steen (South Pasadena, Calif.), who posted four kills, seven digs and five total blocks. Quigley and Troiano each tallied three kills in the loss as Quigley added four digs and Troiano finished with six. VanCott recorded seven assists in three games played. Heading into the last match for the Saxons, Alfred is 1-9 on the year and 0-3 in conference play.

Stevens def. RIT 3-0 (25-9, 25-11, 25-16)
The Ducks picked up their first conference win of the 2008 season behind a strong offensive attack led by the senior-sophomore combination of outside hitters Melanie Volk and Sarah Byrne. Both Volk and Byrne landed nine kills and produced a .500 hitting percentage as the team recorded a .448 attacking rating. Much of that was from senior middle hitter Jessica Gardner, who put down five kills on seven attempts with no errors en route to a .714 hitting percentage. She also drilled three service aces and posted two blocks. Senior right-side hitter Melissa Rhode was true to form having totaled 22 assists and two digs. Sophomore setter Sara Budar had 13 assists and a pair of aces. Senior middle blocker Summer Hamilton dominated the net with four total blocks as she added four kills. Volk tallied nine digs and four blocks defensively as Byrne chipped in with 10 digs.

For RIT, junior middle hitter Vic Petko (East Amherst, N.Y.) led the way with nine kills and three total blocks. Senior setter Nichole Boxler (Varysburg, N.Y.) connected on 17 assists and lofted six digs. Junior middle hitter Ashlie Baker (Northridge, Utah) had four kills, while freshman libero Megan Henriksen (Silver Spring, Md.) led defensively with eight digs.

Ithaca def. Elmira 3-2 (17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-6)
Down two games to none, the Bombers of Ithaca battled back to take the fifth and deciding set en route to its first conference win of the season. Junior middle hitter Jen Heberton (Darien, Conn.) led the offensive attack, along with junior outside hitter Rachel Busch (North Canton, Ohio) as Herberton landed 14 kills and Busch tallied 13. Junior setter Corinna Doctor (Skaneateles, N.Y.) was the cure for the five-game comeback as she dished out 39 assists and buried five aces. She also recorded 11 digs and four total blocks. Sophomore right-side hitter Tina Orlandini (Altadena, Calif.) came up big defensively as she lofted 19 digs.

Elmira ended the weekend 10-6 and 2-2 in Empire 8 play. Raykoske-Raspe finished with 11 kills and four total blocks as Kaczynski dished out 38 assists. Clark notched nine kills, two aces and 13 digs, while Leo drilled two aces and nine digs. Sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Needham (Middletown, N.Y.) added eight kills in the loss.

Stevens def. Hartwick 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-14)
The Ducks kept their momentum rolling in their second match of the crossover as they took down the Hawks in a three-game sweep. Volk led the way in kills (10) and registered a .316 hitting percentage. Hamilton was stellar once again having produced a .462 hitting percentage on eight kills with two errors and 13 attempts. She added five total blocks in the win. Rhode and Budar combined for 27 assists as Rhode dished out 13 and Budar had 14. Sophomore libero Brittany Conroy lofted five digs and landed three aces as Stevens finished Day 2 with a pair of victories in league action.

For the Hawks, Barone totaled four kills and an ace, while Dolge launched eight assists. Mausert had four digs in the loss. Hartwick heads back to Oneonta, N.Y. having posted a 1-3 ledger during the crossover. Overall, the Hawks are 6-12 on the year.

Nazareth def. Ithaca 3-1 (30-28, 25-12, 14-25, 25-17)
The Golden Flyers close out the weekend having recorded four conference victories. In the final match against Ithaca, four different players registered double-digit kill figures. Freshman right-side hitter Audrey Zimmerman (East Aurora, N.Y.) and junior middle blocker Hillary Adam (LaFayette, N.Y.) each tallied 11 kills in the victory. Persico and Reed notched 10 kills apiece as Reed landed five total blocks. She also recorded a .667 hitting percentage on 15 attempts with no errors. Zwickl was a machine as she dished out 47 assists and added pair of blocks in the Golden Flyers' 13th win of the season (13-6). Clary led defensively with 20 digs.

For the Bombers, Herberton led the way in kills (15) and added five digs. Busch had 10 kills in the defeat as Doctor connected on 30 assists and accumulated 16 digs. Freshman middle hitter Kate Thoene (Glen Gardner, N.J.) finished with four total blocks as Ithaca went 1-1 in its first pair of conference matches.

Utica def. Alfred 3-2 (25-20, 26-28, 25-20, 20-25, 15-13)
The Pioneers earned its first Empire 8 win of the season when they went the distance will the Saxons having won in five. Junior middle hitter Brielle Swerdlin (Chester, N.J.) landed 21 kills and added nine digs. The Austin sisters, led by junior outside hitter Melissa (Castorland, N.Y.) posted 16 kills and 42 digs as freshman setter Miranda (Castorland, N.Y.) connected on 45 assists and lofted 10 digs.

The Saxons closed out their last match of the weekend on a strong defensive note. The team totaled 26 blocks as a squad and 120 digs. Troiano played all five games as she accumulated 18 kills and 15 digs. VanCott was credited for 32 assists and totaled eight blocks. Quigley led the team defensively with 12 blocks and 29 digs as she added eight kills in the loss. Steen was tough at the net as well knocking down 10 blocks and 21 digs. Brandow chipped in with 36 digs as the Saxons head back to Alfred, N.Y. having gone 0-4. Alfred is now 1-10 on the year and 0-4 in Empire 8 play.

St. John Fisher def. RIT 3-1 (25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 25-17)
The Cardinals picked up their first conference win of the season as they dominated RIT in four games. Senior middle blocker Alyssa Ziobrowski (Lewiston, N.Y.) and senior middle blocker Sydney Kandefer (Alden, N.Y.) both tallied 11 kills in the victory. Junior setter Elaina Braun (Waterloo, N.Y.) connected on 36 assists and 12 digs. Freshman outside hitter Becca Smith (Orchard Park, N.Y.) notched nine kills, while junior libero Jenna Waldron (Windsor, N.Y.) lofted 28 digs.

In its second league match of the season, RIT was led by Baker, who tallied 10 kills and nine digs. Senior right-side hitter Heidi Little (Glenville, N.Y.) and Petko each totaled nine kills as Little lofted five digs and Petko landed a pair of blocks. Boxler dished out 39 assists and recorded eight digs and an ace. Henrikse led the team defensively with 24 digs.

St. John Fisher def. Utica 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-23)
Fisher tallied its second conference victory in a 3-0 sweep of the Pioneers. Kandefer once again led the team offensively, along with senior middle blocker Kayleigh Cassetta (Liverpool, N.Y.) as each player posted seven kills apiece. Braun dished for 25 assists, while Smith led defensively with 12 digs. Cassetta also totaled six blocks in the win.

For Utica, Miranda Austin dished out 17 assists as her sister Melissa landed five kills, three aces and 12 digs. Junior middle hitter Swerdlin notched seven kills and three digs in the defeat. The Pioneers closed out their first pair of conference matches having split on the day as they run their record to 3-15 on the year.

RIT def. Ithaca 3-2 (22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 23-25, 15-11)
In the fourth five-game match of the weekend, RIT picked up its first conference win of the year in a thrilling victory over Ithaca College. Petko produced a .379 hitting percentage on 33 kills with eight errors and 66 attempts. Little was second on the team in kills (16) and notched a .344 attacking percentage on 32 attempts and five errors. Boxler was stellar as she dished for 51 assists and lofted 14 digs. Henriksen and senior libero Kate Gleason (Hamburg, N.Y.) led the team defensively with 21 digs apiece.

For the Bombers, Heberton and freshman right-side hitter Chelsea Hayes (Haworth, N.J.) led the squad offensively as Herberton landed 19 kills and Hayes with 13. Both combined for 26 digs (Heberton 14, Hayes 12). Doctor connected on 44 assists and drilled two service aces. Orlandini led the digs category with 33 in the defeat.

RIT def. Utica 3-0 (25-23, 25-10, 25-15)
The Tigers were on point in the final day of the Empire 8 crossover held at Stevens. After taking down Ithaca in five, RIT kept the momentum rolling as it swept Utica in three straight. Petko and freshman middle hitter Laura Mooney (Petaluma, Calif.) led the team offensively as Petko produced a .333 hitting percentage on 11 kills, while Mooney landed nine in the victory. Petko also drilled three aces and posted two blocks. Boxler dished out 23 assists and lofted 12 digs, while serving up a pair of aces. Henriksen chipped in defensively with 15 digs. RIT heads back to Rochester, N.Y. having split on the weekend (2-2) as the Tigers run their record to 9-12 on the year and 2-2 in Empire 8 action.

For the Pioneers, freshman outside hitter Chloe Pierce (Toronto, Ohio) led the team in kills (eight) and notched 11 digs. Miranda Austin connected on 21 assists as her sister Melissa tallied seven kills and 13 digs.

Stevens def. St. John Fisher 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 26-24)
Trailing 24-19, the Ducks went on a 7-0 run to come back in Game 3 and pull out their third conference win of the season. Volk led the pack having hit .405 in the match with 19 kills on 42 attempts with only two errors. She added a pair of blocks and nine digs. Byrne was second in kills (11) as she totaled 18 digs and two blocks. Budar and Rhode combined for 29 assists as Budar dished out 10 and Rhode with 19.

Fisher was led by Ziobrowski, who accumulated 12 digs, seven kills and a pair of aces. Braun connected on 19 assists as Waldron led defensively with 15 digs. Smith finished the match with six kills and 11 digs.

Stevens vs. Utica 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-15)
The Ducks picked up its fourth conference win as it stands on top of the leader board along with Nazareth College at 4-0 in league conference. The four league victories extended the Ducks consecutive conference win streak to 45 matches. Volk led in kills (8) and produced a .316 hitting percentage on 19 attempts with just two errors. Budar dished out 10 assists and landed four aces. Hamilton notched a .714 hitting percentage on five kills, while Byrne tallied six kills and six digs. The Ducks improve to 13-4 on the season

Swerdlin led the Pioneers with four kills as the Pioneers finished the weekend 1-3 to run their season record to 3-17. Miranda Austin had five assists and eight digs, while her sister Melissa lofted 10 digs.

St. John Fisher vs. Ithaca 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 25-11, 22-25, 15-5)
The Cardinals finished the weekend 3-1 as they went the distance in a five-game victory over Ithaca. Braun finished the match with 30 assists, 16 digs and six blocks. Kandefer tallied 12 kills and 10 digs as Ziobrowski notched eight kills and 25 digs. Waldron led defensively with 26 digs and added a pair of aces, while Cassetta registered seven blocks.

Ithaca closed out its last match of the weekend in another battle of five games. Three of the four matches the Bombers played it were decided in five. Ithaca came away with a win over Elmira on Saturday to run its Empire 8 record to 1-3. In the loss against Fisher, Doctor had a solid performance having connected on 41 assists. She added 18 digs and landed five aces. Heberton had a team-high 14 kills, while Orlandini led defensively with 35 digs.