Potsdam, NY – Celebrating its Class of 2025, the Clarkson University Volleyball team picked up a key win in Liberty League play against RIT and then battled against Rochester to pick up two wins on Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights improved to 10-12 overall and 3-3 in the Liberty League, setting up a key matchup against Union College next Friday as the Golden Knights seek a home court conference tournament postseason game. Clarkson's 25-18, 25-21, 25-14 sweep of RIT gave the Knights a key tie-breaker in case of a two-team tie against the Tigers. The Green and Gold also held on for a four-set non-league win against Rochester, winning 25-14, 25-20, 17-25, 25-18.

In the first set against RIT, the Golden Knights had a modest lead at the start, but rattled off four straight points to make it 10-4 and force the Tigers to take a timeout, as the last three came off kills from Marin Hangliter. RIT recovered to get back within one on two occasions, but another 4-0 run returned Clarkson to its larger margin. Each time RIT came back, Clarkson had an answer in the first set, finishing with three straight points, including kills from Allyson Treichel and Hangliter.

The second set again saw the Knights pull out to an early lead, but the Tigers hung with them for most of the set, eventually getting to within one and then tying the set at 20-20 following a kill from Macie Jolliffe. However, Clarkson responded with four straight points, starting with a kill from Hangliter and ending with a kill from Hanson. A kill from Ashley Currier ended the set at 25-21.

Like the second game, the third set started with another strong run from the service line by Olivia Baxter, as Clarkson rolled out to a 7-1 advantage, capped by an ace from Abigail Spector. RIT picked up five straight to climb back within one, but from that point on it was all Clarkson. The Knights had two three-point runs and late in the set pulled away with a 4-0 run that ended on a Grace Hanson kill (22-12). It was only a matter of time from that point on, as the Knights ended with a kill from Hanson, blocks by Hangliter and Treichel, and one final kill from Hangliter.

For Clarkson, Grace Hanson and Marin Hangliter posted .346 hitting percentages, with Hanson getting 11 kills and Hangliter picking up 10 kills. Ashley Currier notched 24 assists and Olivia Baxter (four aces) and Abigail Spector (three aces) led the Knights from the service line. Tess Sorel and Emily Alexander each had three total blocks, and Spector reached double figures in digs with 16.

Mia Gerber led RIT with 11 kills and Cat Vento added seven kills for the Tigers. Sydney Neff posted 23 assists and a trio of kills to go along with 11 digs. Both Gerber and Lilo Gerald-Emesih had three block assists and Hailey Blixt led the defense with 15 digs.
Match two began with the Knights on top and the team pulled away thanks to four aces from Abigail Spector and five kills from Grace Hanson. Clarkson went plus-six from the service line against the Yellowjackets, and Rochester hit even in the set (7-7-40).

Set two had some lengthy rallies, keeping both team's hitting percentages low, as the Yellowjackets again were .000 on attack (10-10-42). Clarkson led throughout, starting with a 7-0 run and doubling up the Yellowjackets on numerous occasions afterwards, including a 20-10 lead. Despite losing the set, Rochester showed some signs of getting out of its offensive funk late and took that momentum into the third. The Yellowjackets began the set hitting 7-1-16, rolling out to a 14-7 lead in the early going and holding on from there.

Clarkson appeared to run away with the fourth set when the team picked up six of the first seven points. However, Rochester responded with a six-point run to take the lead and were up by two near the midway point (11-9). That was the beginning of a strong stretch for the Knights as Clarkson won seven of the next nine to take the lead, capped by block assists from Ashley Currier and Allyson Treichel to make it 16-13. A finesse roll shot from Hangliter and a hard strike from Hanson made it 20-15, and Clarkson had enough in the tank to pull away and win the final set 25-18.

The Knights were strong at the net as Treichel had eight block assists, Currier had seven block assists, and Sorel had four more block assists. Currier also posted 18 assists, while Kayla Gault notched 10 assists and seven digs. Grace Hanson (17 kills) and Marin Hangliter (11 kills) led the team on offense, while Abigail Spector had 22 digs, 4 aces, and 4 assists.

For Rochester, Caroline Hoag hit .321 with 11 kills. Alexia Nelms produced 32 assists and four aces and Lydia Weeks (21 digs) and Rylee Bergeron (20 digs) led the Yellowjackets from the back row.

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