Poughkeepsie, NY - Ranked as the top seed for the first-time ever, the Clarkson University Volleyball team was unable to hold serve at the Liberty League Championships, beating Union in the opener before falling to Skidmore in the final match of the day.
The Golden Knights moved to 26-6 on the season and will face St. Lawrence at 11:00 am and Vassar College at 3:00 pm on Saturday. The Knights will need to defeat St. Lawrence in the first match to have any chance of gaining the conference championship.
In the day's first match for Clarkson, the top-seeded Golden Knights emerged victorious over a resilient Union squad 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 16-25, 26-24) behind a solid effort from sophomore outside hitter Sara Artus (St. Regis Falls, NY) and senior setter Jenna Stock (Johnstown, NY). Artus led the Golden Knights with 23 kills, while Stock contributed 45 assists for Clarkson.
The first set saw Union jump out to a quick 7-3 lead before Clarkson battled back to take an 11-10 lead en route to a 25-14 victory. Artus had six kills in the set, and freshman outside hitter Courtney Haines (Crestview, FL) added four kills for the Golden Knights. Stock had 12 assists in the set, which featured seven Golden Knight service aces, including two each from Artus and junior defensive specialist Alison Schroder (Webster, NY).
Clarkson carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead. Union battled to keep the match close, pulling within one at 13-12 off a Clarkson attack error. However, the No. 1 seed handled the pressure and extended its lead to 23-16, but Union won six of the final eight points in the match to make it close, drawing within three on a kill by sophomore Becky Hoeffler. With Union rallying, Clarkson closed out the set behind a kill from sophomore Megan Mahon (Irvine, CA). Once again, Artus and Stock keyed the Clarkson victory. Artus added another six kills, while Stock contributed another 11 assists.
Once again, momentum carried over from the previous set, this time in favor of the Dutchwomen. Both teams traded points early, however Union eventually gained a concrete advantage jumping out to a 15-7 lead, after the teams were tied at 5. The run was keyed by three kills from senior Rachel Ormsby and two service aces from senior defensive specialist Veronica Mynders. Each Ormsby kill was assisted by freshman setter Kimberly Armstrong. After jumping out to their 15-7 lead, Union never looked back, cruising to a 25-16 victory in the set.
The fourth and final set lived up to the conclusion of a dramatic match. Union started off red-hot, jumping out to an 8-3 lead. However, much like the first set, Clarkson battled back to tie the set at 10, and then take an 11-10 lead. This time, the Dutchwomen would not let the set slip away. The teams traded points, until Union took a 17-16 lead, extending that to a 21-18 advantage. Clarkson battled back from the deficit to take a 23-22 lead. The Clarkson run was keyed by two blocks from sophomore Rachel Simons (Webster, NY), one of which was assisted by Mahon. The Golden Knights finally closed out Union at 26-24 off a kill from Mahon, which hit off a Union blocker before landing along the right sideline.
Clarkson was led by Artus with 23 kills and Mahon with 10, while Stock added 45 set assists. Schroeder led Clarkson with 21 digs, with junior Amanda Rankin (Horseheads, NY) adding 10 digs of her own. Sophomore Eve Richards led Union with 13 kills, with Ormsby adding ten. Armstrong finished with 29 assists for Union. Mynders led the Dutchwomen with 20 digs. Armstrong and junior Erika Van Valkenburg each added 13 digs, while Richards finished with 12.
In the second match for the Knights, fourth-seeded Skidmore upset Clarkson 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-21) in a closely contested match. The match was evenly played throughout, with each set coming down to the wire. However, each set, Skidmore was able to persevere on its way to the sweep.
The first set saw Clarkson in control much of the way. The Golden Knights led 8-7 and did not trail again until the score was 24-23. The teams traded points at the end with Clarkson holding a 26-25 advantage. Skidmore responded with three kills, one each from junior Meredith Palmer, freshman Mallory Mendelsohn, and the set winner from sophomore Kelley Vershbow, which deflected off a Clarkson blocker.
The second set was tight, featuring a series of runs for both teams, but in the end Skidmore was able to hold on for the win. The Thoroughbreds started off hot, jumping to a 16-9 lead. The rest of the set saw streaks by both teams resulting in fluctuations of the score. Skidmore appeared to have made the decisive run, with four consecutive points putting the Thoroughbreds in front, 24-18, however, Clarkson answered with five of its own, pulling to within one, 24-23. This led to Skidmore’s freshman hitter Carolyn Bottelier knocking home the set-winning kill, one of her team-high ten in the match off of an assist from junior Becca Ormsby.
The final set was the closest of the evening. The set saw eight lead changes, with no team holding an advantage of more than three points until the final. Skidmore took its final lead at 20-19, fighting back from a one-point deficit off of two Clarkson attacking errors. The Thoroughbreds closed out the match with a block from Bottelier, who also had 10 digs.
Sara Artus had a match-high 21 kills for Clarkson, breaking the single-season record set last season by classmate Megan Mahon, who produced 13 kills against Skidmore. Jenna Stock recorded a match-high 38 assists, with her Skidmore counterpart, Ormsby notching 24. Skidmore senior libero Lauren Dinsdale led all competitors with 25 digs and Ormsby added 14 for Skidmore. Artus and junior defensive specialist Alison Schroeder each led Clarkson with 20 digs.
This is the third time Skidmore and Clarkson have faced each other this season and the first time the Thoroughbreds have emerged with a victory.
