Volleyball Splits at Niagara Pod

CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, September 9, 2023

The Hudson Valley Community College women's volleyball team continues their strong play as they went on the road to compete in the Niagara Region 3 pod in Sanborn, NY.

Game One: Erie 3, Hudson Valley 0 (Final)

The Vikings started the day against a perennially dominant Erie program and that is what the Vikings faced again on Saturday. Erie defeated the Vikings in straight-sets (25-16, 25-116, 25-20).

Leading the way for the Vikings attack was Sidney Phillips, who finished with a team-best nine kills as the team accumulated 44 total kills. The Vikings also tallied 11 service aces, with Phillips and Tatianah Zeigler leading the charge with four total aces each. The team also found its rhythm with a season-high 40 assists against a quality program. Regina Salazar finished with 14 assists and Elizabeth Baldes added 11 assists along with one dig. Adriana Diaz-Rolon was the defensive leader as she once again led the team with 14 digs. Abby Newell added six digs and also finished with six kills and a pair of solo blocks as one of the Vikings' defensive leaders today.

Game Two: Hudson Valley 3, Niagara 0 (Final)

In the final match of the day, Hudson Valley defeated Niagara in straight sets (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) to finish their second straight pod tournament with at least one win.

As a team, the Vikings accumulated 49 kills, 45 assists, 49 digs and seven service aces as they put together a solid performance to secure their second win against Region 3 opponents. Leading the way individually against the Thunderwolves was Sidney Phillips and Abby Newell, who combined for 27 kills. Phillips finished with 14 kills and added two blocks, while Newell accumulated 13 kills with three service aces and three digs. The offense is flowing well as they have included a new winkle into the mix. A flexibility and an uncertainty about who will be setting the ball, has allowed the Vikings to score behind the assists from Salazar-Ware and Baldes, who totaled 32 of the team's 45 assists over the course of the three-set match.

Up Next:

The volleyball team's home opener is scheduled for this Tuesday, September 12 as they welcome conference-rival Herkimer to the McDonough Sports Complex on the campus of HVCC. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. and will be live-streamed at hvccathletics.com/WATCH.