HOUGHTON, NY – Jenna Bittinger nailed out 38 kills over eight sets, including a career-high 23 kills in the first game of a doubleheader split with the visiting Elmira College Soaring Eagles.  Elmira took the first game of the day, which counted toward conference play, 3-1, while the Highlanders brought home the second, which went in the books as a non-conference matchup.
 
With the win in the first match, Elmira claimed the second seed in the Empire 8 conference tournament, while the Highlanders become the fourth seed.
 
GAME VITALS
Game #1:
Score: Houghton – 1 | Elmira – 3
Records: Houghton: 3-4 (3-3 Empire 8) | Elmira: 6-2 (4-2 Empire 8)
Scores: 26-28, 25-19, 21-25, 23-25
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 0


Game #2:
Score: Houghton – 3 | Elmira – 1
Records: Houghton: 4-4 (3-3 Empire 8) | Elmira: 6-3 (4-2 Empire 8)
Scores: 25-18, 19-25, 25-22, 25-22
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 0

GAME #1: In the first set the Highlanders trailed 24-18 before reeling off seven straight points to force their own set-point.  Offsetting kills by Elmira's Amelia Martin and Bittinger once again put Houghton up by one. 
 
A Houghton service error, a kill by Savannah Terry, and a final serve from Maddie Hampton that clipped the top of the next and fell untouched on the Houghton side, put the Soaring Eagles up, 1-0.
 
The Highlanders regrouped to win the second set, even the match, 1-1.
 
In the third, Elmira jumped out to an early 10-4 lead, and continued to widen the gap, eventually leading, 22-14.  After the Soaring Eagles forced set-point, 24-17, on a service ace by Lydia Milligan, Alyssa Lyon picked up a kill and three service points to cut the deficit to three points, but Terry once again closed the set with another kill.
 
Houghton refused to go quietly, and the two teams battled neck-and-neck throughout the fourth set.  Kills by Haley Unverdorben and Bittinger, coupled with an Elmira attack error, finally put the Highlanders up late in the game, 22-20, Terry tied the game for the Soaring Eagles with a kill and a service ace.
 
An Allison Morgan kill put Houghton back up by one, but a kill, service ace, and another kill finished the match for the Soaring Eagles.
 
GAME #2: With the match knotted at one set apiece, the two teams went back to fighting tooth-and-nail in the third and fourth sets.
 
With Houghton leading in the third, 23-20, following another Bittinger kill, the Soaring Eagles posted back-to-back kills to pull within a point.  But Bittinger slammed home another kill before an attack error put the Highlanders up, 2-1.
   
The final set brought more of the same seesaw action.  Houghton finally broke away late, and an Alyssa Lyon kill gave the Highlanders set point, 24-20.  Elmira picked up two quick points to cut the Houghton lead to two, but Unverdorben ended the game on a setter dump into an open midcourt for the match-winning kill.

NOTABLE STATS
>> In addition to her 38 kills, Bittinger committed only four attack errors on the day, and collected 17 digs, 14 of which came in the first match.
 
>> Unverdorben dished out a season-high 44 assists in the first match, and posted 32 in the second, a total of 74 assists on the day.  She also served seven aces in the second match.
 
>> Bekah Fenn led the Highlanders with a career-high 22 digs in the second match.
 
>> Lydia Milligan led the Soaring Eagles with 20 total kills and 21 total digs, while Kassi Hastings dished out 41 and 40 assists.
 
UP NEXT
With the outcome of today's first game, Elmira earned the #2 seed in the conference tournament, while Houghton becomes the #4 seed.  Houghton will host a play-in game against #5-seeded Alfred University at the Nielsen Center at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20.