Participating Teams:
#16 Clarkson University (22-3)
SUNY Canton (16-4)
Plattsburgh State (4-12)
Utica College (8-16)
Golden Knights Invitational All-Tournament Team
Victoria Kirkemo (Clarkson University) - MVP
Adrienne Walker (Clarkson University)
Evanne Jimenez (Clarkson University)
Aishvina Arasu (Clarkson University)
Caitlin Grimshaw (SUNY Canton)
Morgan Bills (SUNY Canton)
Mackenzie Mynter (SUNY Canton)
Meghan Clifford (Plattsburgh State)
Schedule - Friday, October 17th
7:00 pm - SUNY Canton vs. #16 Clarkson University
Clarkson 3, SUNY Canton 1 - Box Score
Set 1: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 13
Set 2: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 21
Set 3: SUNY Canton 25, Clarkson 23
Set 4: Clarkson 25, SUNY Canton 22 Game Story - After a lopsided first set in which Clarkson was in total control throughout, the Kangaroos tightened up their defense and gave the 16th-ranked Golden Knights a solid run in the final three sets. The momentum began in the waning moments of the second set as SUNY Canton turned a six-point deficit at set point into a three-point drop before finally falling down two sets. However, Canton used that confidence against Clarkson with 15 kills in the third set, getting some lucky bounces along the way and taking advantage of some poorly timed miscues by the Knights. But Clarkson proved to be too much against Canton for the second time this season, gaining a small advantage in the fourth set. The Kangaroos rallied to tie the score several times in the late going, including at 21-21, but the Knights won four of the final five points with Kirstie Shurie (LaCanada, CA) and Aishvina Arasu (Brea, CA) serving to close out the match.
Adrienne Walker (Centennial, CO) led three Clarkson hitters in double-digit kills, striking for 11 with no errors in 30 swings. Aishvina Arasu and Rachael Aird (East Syracuse, NY) each delivered 10 kills and Victoria Kirkemo (Englewood, CO) tossed in nine kills with a match-high 22 digs and six more aces. The six additional aces pushed Kirkemo into third-place all-time at Clarkson, and she ranks in the top 10 among all active players in Division III in that category. Kirstie Shurie returned from injury to produce 44 assists and 14 digs, while freshman Evanne Jimenez (Ventura, CA) tossed in 20 more digs.
For Canton, Caitlin Grimshaw had a match-high 12 kills to go along with 10 digs and three blocks, and Kelsey Cornish added in 10 more kills. Mackenzie Mynter ran the offense with 38 assists and also added nine digs.
9:00 pm - Plattsburgh State vs. Utica College
Plattsburgh 3, Utica 2 - Box Score
Set 1: Plattsburgh State 25, Utica 11
Set 2: Plattsburgh State 25, Utica 21
Set 3: Utica 25, Plattsburgh State 21
Set 4: Utica 25, Plattsburgh State 15
Set 5: Plattsburgh State 15, Utica 9 Game Story - The late night match could not have seen more seesaw momentum as Plattsburgh came out and dominated the Pioneers in the first two sets, only to see Utica strike back with its own momentum in the next two sets, forcing a winner-take-all scenario in set number five. Utica appeared to have the momentum on its side after a lopsided fourth set victory, and the Pioneers even jumped out to a 5-1 lead in set five. However, Plattsburgh rallied back on Utica errors and a more determined offense, winning nine of the next 10 points to take a 10-6 lead. Although the Pioneers would briefly halt the run, the Cardinals were too close in the sprint and were able to edge out Utica to break an eight-game losing streak.
Emily Miller had a match-high 16 kills and also produced five blocks, including three solo efforts, for the Cardinals in the win while Maggie Schrantz chipped in 10 kills and 23 digs, as well as a pair of blocks. Freshman Miranda Sheffer also had 11 kills, 21 digs and scored three aces from the service line. Meghan Clifford had 44 assists, 18 digs and a pair of aces for Plattsburgh.
For Utica, five different players scored at least five kills, led by freshman Samantha Hoerning's 11. Lora Allen produced 29 assists and 13 digs and Briona Enny had 21 digs, one of four players with at least 15 in that department.
Schedule - Saturday, October 18th
10:00 am - Utica College vs. SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton 3, Utica 0 - Box Score
Set 1: SUNY Canton 25, Utica 19
Set 2: SUNY Canton 25, Utica 21
Set 3: SUNY Canton 25, Utica 12
Game Story - Two hotly contested first sets proved to be all that Utica could muster as SUNY Canton finished off a three-set sweep with a lopsided victory in the final game of the match. Canton raced out to an 8-1 advantage in the first set, forcing a timeout by Utica, but the Pioneers followed with a 7-1 run shortly thereafter to tighten things up, causing the Roos to take a break. Canton responded out of the timeout and scored five straight points (16-10) and held for a win by that margin. The second set was close throughout, with the Pioneers holding the lead for the majority of the set. It wasn't until SUNY Canton made a three-point deficit (16-13) disappear over the course of the next seven points (18-18) that it was able to right the ship, and a pair of hitting errors by the Pioneers in the final two points gave Canton the win.
Caitlin Grimshaw had a match-high 17 kills and added in 11 digs to lead the Kangaroos, while Morgan Bills added in 11 kills and three blocks. Robyn Carroll led the defense with 22 digs and Mackenzie Mynter produced 36 assists, three aces and nine digs in the win. For Utica, Brandi Blaszak and Samantha Hoerning each had four kills, with Blaszak also making five blocks, including four solo efforts. Briona Enny had 15 digs and Lora Allen tossed in 13 assists.
12:00 noon - Utica College vs. ##16 Clarkson University
Clarkson 3, Utica 0 - Box Score
Set 1: Clarkson 25, Utica 11
Set 2: Clarkson 25, Utica 15
Set 3: Clarkson 25, Utica 10 Game Story - Clarkson was its own worst enemy against the Pioneers, though the team was able to deliver enough kills and aces to cruise to a three-set win. In the first set, though the Knights won by a healthy margin of 14 points, Clarkson gave away six points on assorted hitting errors and service errors, and that rate got worse in the second set as the Green and Gold had 11 errors. Clarkson righted the ship in set number three, getting enough of an advantage in the early going (beginning the game on an 8-0 run with Hannah Jones (Lake Arrowhead, CA) serving), and finished things off by battering the Pioneers with a .407 hitting percentage.
Victoria Kirkemo (Englewood, CO) hit .500 in the match with 13 kills and just two errors in 22 swings, and she also added in five more aces to her season total. Aishvina Arasu (Brea, CA) also produced a .500 hitting clip with nine kills and only two errors on just 14 swings, while Adrienne Walker scored six kills in just two sets, hitting .385. Lauren Hutchinson (Spring, TX) had the setting duties, and recorded 34 assists. Evanne Jimenez (Ventura, CA) led the defense with 15 digs. The entire roster minus ailing Kirstie Shurie (LaCanada, CA) saw time in the match.
Brandi Blaszak led Utica with four kills and Lora Allen had seven assists and six digs. Briona Enny produced a team-best eight digs. 2:00 pm - SUNY Canton vs. Plattsburgh State
SUNY Canton 3, Plattsburgh State 0 - Box Score
Set 1: SUNY Canton 25, Plattsburgh State 13
Set 2: SUNY Canton 25, Plattsburgh State 14
Set 3: SUNY Canton 25, Plattsburgh State 18
Game Story - Canton overcame two middling starts to record decisive victories in the first two sets, and then enjoyed a solid start in the third set and held on for a sweep of Plattsburgh State. The Kangaroos led by just a single point at 8-7, but were able to finish off the set with a 17-6 run. The second set was more of the same, as the Cardinals led SUNY Canton midway through the game at 10-8, but the Roos quickly turned things around by winning seven of the next eight points for a four-point advantage, and then put together another run that saw them win 10 of the next 13. Though the final set was the closest of the three, it was never much in doubt, as Canton rushed out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back.
Morgan Bills produced a solid overall match for the Roos, hitting .500 (11-1-20) and adding in three aces and three block assists. Mackenzie Mynter had a double-double with 21 assists and 15 digs and Kelly Cornish contributed four aces. For Plattsbugh, Maggie Schrantz had a team-best five kills and a pair of aces, while Meghan Clifford ran the offense with 14 assists and Miranda Sheffer added 10 digs.
4:00 pm - Plattsburgh State vs. #16 Clarkson University
Clarkson 3, Plattsburgh State 0 - Box Score
Set 1: Clarkson 25, Plattsburgh State 13
Set 2: Clarkson 25, Plattsburgh State 14
Set 3: Clarkson 25, Plattsburgh State 17 Game Story - Clarkson closed out the Golden Knights Invitational by honoring its three seniors in Brooke Butkovsky (Monroe, CT), Kristen Orlandini (Fairport, NY) and Adrienne Walker (Centennial, CO). The outcome was rarely in doubt as the Golden Knights jumped out to leads in each of the three sets and, despite some hiccups, dominated from the service line. The Knights kept Plattsburgh off balance with their service game, recording 12 aces in the three-set tilt, with Victoria Kirkemo (Englewood, CO) and Evanne Jimenez (Ventura, CA) combining for nine.
Plattsburgh committed eight hitting errors in the first set, allowing Clarkson's offense some resting time, but the Knights woke up in the final two sets, averaging 15.5 kills per set and hitting .260.
Kirkemo had 11 kills, 10 digs, and five aces in the match, while Walker blasted the Cardinals with a .562 hitting percentage on nine kills and no errors in 16 swings. Aishvina Arasu (Brea, CA) also contributed 10 kills and five digs on offense. Lauren Hutchinson (Spring, TX) delivered 36 assists, six digs and a pair of blocks, and Evanne Jimenez added to her four aces with a match-high 17 digs.
For the Cardinals, Maggie Schrantz and Miranda Sheffer each had six kills and Meghan Clifford produced 14 assists, nine digs and a pair of blocks.
