ITHACA, N.Y. – Despite a slow start, the Houghton Highlanders came back to defeat the Utica Pioneers in straight sets before falling in the second match to the Ithaca Bombers. 
 
The split keeps the Highlanders at .500 within the conference and in fifth place, a half-game behind fourth-place St. John Fisher College. 
 
Since Houghton lost their match to Fisher earlier this season, the Highlanders have been officially eliminated from post-season contention.
 
Match #1: Neither team seemed to gain traction during the opening set as the Highlanders and Pioneers traded points to a 14-14 deadlock. 
 
After a Utica error gave Houghton the lead, kills by Sydney Pow and Anna Coryell sent the Highlanders on a seven point run.  Houghton would win 11 of the final 14 points to win the set.
 
In the second set, Utica built a 14-8 lead before the Highlanders again clawed their way back.  Still trailing, 18-20, Houghton capitalized on kills from four different players to reel off the final seven points of the set to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
In the final set, Houghton trailed only once (2-1), powering their way to a three-set victory, 25-17.
 
Match #2: The Bombers jumped out to an early 6-1 lead before Houghton found their bearings and began to trade points with the #2 team in the New York Region.  While the Highlanders drew as close as three points late in the match, the could never tally more than a three-point run, falling in the first set, 19-25.
 
Ithaca again earned an early advantage in the second set. With the score 16-11 in favor of the Bombers, two kills by Pow and another by Erica Barney sent Houghton on a six-point run to take the lead.
 
That advantage, however, would never grow beyond one point, as the two teams traded points.  With the set tied at 21, Ithaca capitalized on four kills to earn four of the final five points to seal the victory.
 
Match Vitals
Match #1: Houghton – 3 | Utica – 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-17)
Match #2: Houghton – 0 | Ithaca – 3 (19-25, 22-25, 14-25)
Records: Houghton: 12-11 (4-4 E8) | Utica: 6-26 (0-8 E8) | Ithaca: 22-4 (7-1 E8)
Venue: Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca College
 
Key Stats
>> Pow collected seven kills and five blocks in the first match and five kills and one block in the second.
>> Naomi Prentice picked up 14 kills and one block on the day
>> Barney posted 13 kills, 17 digs and two blocks

Coach's Corner
"This was our most consistent serve receive of the year, which gave Anna the ability to run a strong offense.  We had a slow start against Utica but probably played our best volleyball of our season against Ithaca." –Coach Nancy Cole

Next Time Out.
Houghton travels to Alfred on Wednesday to challenge the Alfred State College Pioneers at 7:30 p.m. 

The Highlanders lost to the Pioneers, 1-3, on September 7. The two teams have split their last six matches over the past three seasons, three wins apiece.