GENEVA, N.Y. – In the first season that the Liberty League Tournament expanded to six qualifiers, the Union College women’s volleyball team made sure that the last team in the postseason made its presence felt.
Backed by 17 kills from first-year Shannon McGrath and 15 kills from junior Keara Page, sixth-seeded Union fought to the end and knocked off third-seeded William Smith College by a 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 25-20, 23-25, 17-15) in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament on Tuesday night at Bristol Gymnasium.
With the win, Union advances to the Liberty League Tournament semifinals, where the team will take on second-seeded Clarkson University. The match, held at top-seeded Ithaca College, is set for a 4 p.m. start on Friday. The winner advances to the conference championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
When these two teams played 10 days ago, Union managed only 31 total points in a three-set sweep. But the return of first-year Shannon McGrath seemed to energize the visitors, who received important contributions from almost everyone who stepped on the court in a total team win.
McGrath finished the match with a team-leading 17 kills and added eight digs and two aces, followed by Page with a career-high 15 kills on .270 hitting. Senior Haley Kresch directed the offense with 32 assists, moving her into 10th place in career assists at Union, and added 12 digs and three aces for her second straight double-double and third of the year.
Defensively, first-year Georgia Pool was all over the court with 22 digs and six assists, while senior…
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