HOUGHTON, NY – The Houghton Highlanders women's volleyball team's defense and serving were on full display Saturday afternoon, as they rebounded from a tough Friday night loss to Hartwick with a straight set victory over the Russell Sage Colleges Gators.
 
The Highlanders served up 13 aces and posted a season-high 72 digs on the afternoon, including 24 by junior libero Rebekah Clark, a personal career-best.
 
After Houghton won the first set, 25-19, the Gators responded in the second, opening up an early lead, and eventually leading, 18-12.  Following a kill by Alyssa Lyon, Clark reeled off four straight service aces to pull the Highlanders within a point. 
 
The Gators won three of the next four points to pull ahead, 21-19, before kills by Emma Santerre and Lyon, coupled with a Sage attack error tied the score.
 
Moments later, Sage again surged ahead, earning set point, 24-22.  A service error pulled Houghton within a point and gave them the serve.  A kill by Julie Immel tied the game, 24-24, and back to back kills by Lyon put the Highlanders up, 2-0.
 
In the third, Houghton pulled out to an early 7-1 lead, and looked like they would run away with the match.  Sage, however, refused to quit, battling back to within a point, 14-15.  At this point the Highlanders caught fire, reeling off seven points, including two kills by Ella Smith, two more by Lyon, another by Grace Parr, and another service ace by Clark.
 
Shortly thereafter, with the score 23-17 in favor of Houghton, Lyon struck again, forcing match-point on her 12^th kill of the day, before Immel gave the Highlanders the win with a kill of her own.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 3 | Sage – 0
Records: Houghton: 7-6 (3-2 Empire 8) | Sage: 5-16 (1-4 Empire 8)
Scores: 25-19, 26-24, 25-17
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 105

NOTABLE STATS
>> In addition to shattering her previous-best 14 digs, Clark also tied another career-high with seven total aces
 
>> Immel posted a team-high 17 points with 13 kills and four aces.  She also added 14 digs, good for her fourth double-double of the season.  She has now posted double-digit kill totals in nine consecutive matches.
 
>> Lyon added 14 digs to her 12 kills, picking up her third double-double of the season.
 
>> Haley Unverdorben collected 31 assists on the day, giving her 2,061 for her career.  She is now three assists shy of sixth place on the Houghton career leader board (stats verifiable from 1997-2021).
 
UP NEXT
Houghton travels to St. John Fisher College on Tuesday, October 12, for an Empire 8 matchup with the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m.  The Highlanders will then travel to Keuka Park the following day for another conference challenge against the Keuka College Wolves at 7:00 p.m.