HOUGHTON, NY – With a playoff-like atmosphere raging in the Nielsen Center, the Houghton Highlanders defeated cross-county Empire 8 rival Alfred University in a hard-fought volleyball battle on Wednesday night, 3-1.
 
After Houghton took the first set, 25-15, and raced out to a 25-14 lead in the second, it appeared that the Highlanders would ran away with the match.
 
The Saxons had different plans.
 
Alfred reeled off seven straight points at the end of the second set before the Highlanders finally capped the game after a Saxons attack error.
 
While Houghton led, 2-0, Alfred capitalized on the momentum of the closing minutes of the second set to propel them to a win in the third, 25-18.
 
Slightly past the midway point, it appeared that Houghton had regained the momentum and had the game under control.  Leading 14-11, Julie Immel slammed home a kill and Haley Unverdorben served up an ace to give the Highlanders a five-point advantage.
 
But the Saxons continued to keep things close, battling back and trading points with the Highlanders down the stretch.  Incredible defensive plays highlighted the waning moments, as both teams saved near-impossible balls from reaching the floor, somehow finding ways to return the ball over the net.
 
Back-to-back kills by Allison Morgan and Immel forced match-point for Houghton, 24-21, but Alfred responded in kind, with back-to-back kills of their own, pulling within a point.
 
Finally, after a tough dig and set led to an off-balanced attack error, the Highlanders claimed their second Empire 8 victory of the season.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 3 | Alfred – 1
Records: Houghton: 6-4 (2-1 Empire 8) | Alfred: 6-8 (0-2 Empire 8)
Scores: 25-15, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23
Venue: The Nielsen Center | Attendance: 105

NOTABLE STATS
>> While the two teams racked up an equal number of kills (43 apiece), the Highlanders collected 11 service aces to the Saxons seven, and committed only three service errors, while Alfred committed nine.
 
>> Unverdorben finished with 34 assists, giving her a career total of 1,978.
 
>> Immel notched her sixth consecutive match with double-digits kills, collecting a team-leading 13, and also posted her third consecutive double-double, adding 11 digs.
 
>> Rebekah Clark led the Houghton defensive effort with a match-high 14 digs.  Alyssa Lyon added 10 kills and nine digs, and Morgan served up four aces.
 
>> Sarah Raeman posted a match-high 18 kills and a .412 attack percentage for the Saxons.
 
UP NEXT
Houghton travels to Erie, Pennsylvania tomorrow to take on the Penn State-Behrend Nittany Lions at 7:30 p.m.  The two teams have not met since September 15, 2018, when Behrend clipped the Highlanders, 3-2.