DeLoid Earns First Career Win as Union Sweeps Alfred State

Box Score (PDF)
 
CAZENOVIA, N.Y.  – Head coach Annie DeLoid earned her first collegiate coaching victory as the Union College women’s volleyball team started the 2022 season with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-23) victory over Alfred State College on day one of the Cazenovia Invitational on Friday evening at Cazenovia College’s Edwards Gymnasium.
 
DeLoid made her coaching debut at Union a successful behind the efforts of first-year Shannon McGrath, who led all players with 14 kills on .290 hitting in her collegiate debut. Classmate Georgia Pool posted a match-high 15 digs as well in her debut outing, while senior Haley Kresch led the team with 13 assists.
 
The first set was the closest of the match, with the teams combining for 11 ties and six lead changes. The last tie came at 15 after a McGrath kill and the first ace of the night by sophomore Kirsten Litchfield erased a two-point deficit. Litchfield added two more aces as part of a decisive 7-0 run that put Union up 20-15. Alfred State got back within one at 20-19, but a service error gave Union back the serve and Pool served up a pair of aces followed by a Pioneer error and a McGrath kill to close out the frame. McGrath had seven kills on eight attempts (.750) as Union hit .400 as a team in the set.
 
Facing an 9-7 deficit early in the second stanza, Union stormed back with 12 straight points to take control. Litchfield had two more aces during the run, with McGrath adding two kills and junior Mya Delesdernier adding one. Union built up its largest lead at 23-11 before cruising to the 25-16 set-two victory.
 
Alfred State held the lead for much of the third set and looked to be in good shape up 22-16, but Union capitalized on several Pioneer errors to score nine of the match’s final 10 points. The momentum swung back after a Union timeout, as five straight errors got Union back within a point and McGrath evened the score at 22. Following an Alfred State kill, two bad sets sandwiched around a kill from sophomore Farah Elgala gave Union the win and the sweep.
 
Union will be back in action tomorrow with two more matches in Cazenovia, taking on the host Wildcats at 9 a.m. and Mount St. Mary College at 11 a.m.