 |  |
Potsdam Falls To St. Lawrence After Quick Start
Story Courtesy of the Potsdam Athletics Site
POTSDAM, N.Y. - The SUNY Potsdam volleyball team battled against
a quality non-conference opponent but was defeated 22-25, 25-22,
25-20, 25-19 to St. Lawrence Tuesday evening at Welsh
Gymnasium.
For the fifth time this season, the Bears (3-6) won the first set
only to end the match with a loss. Potsdam has won the first set in
eight of its nine contests this season.
"I'm proud of our ability to serve tough and stay aggressive both
offensively and defensively," Potsdam coach Steve Pike said. "St.
Lawrence was a little better out of system ... they earned the win
tonight. We went on some good runs, but now we need to tie it
together. There's improvement up and down the roster."
After a pair of back-and-forth, exciting sets, the Saints (7-2)
ended the third with an 8-2 run to win the pivotal frame.
In the fourth, Potsdam squelched the SLU momentum with a 7-1 run of
its own to begin the set. However, the Saints quickly battled back
to take a 12-9 advantage, and ended the match on an 8-3 burst after
the Bears narrowed the gap to 17-16.
For Potsdam, the match was highlighted by the exciting play of
freshman Annie Smith. The Burke, N.Y., native's powerful swing
brought fans to their feet and the Bears' bench erupted with every
kill.
Smith finished with a team-high 16 kills, her second-highest match
total of the season.
"Annie is figuring out how she can bring speed, create angles and
just score," Pike said. "She's tweaking little things, and is
improving offensively and defensively as a result."
Four players finished with 10 or more digs, including sophomore
Jill Dye (Middletown, N.Y.), who had 16. Freshman Jenna Blujus
(Baldwinsville, N.Y.) tallied 32 assists and four service aces.
Senior captain Erica Romaniello (Selden, N.Y.) contributed with 14
digs and four aces.
The Bears return to the court this Friday and Saturday, Sept.
17-18, at the RIT Tournament. Potsdam opens with Rochester (2 p.m.)
and Brockport (4:30 p.m.) on Friday.
