HOUGHTON, N.Y. — GAME ONE
Houghton Women's Volleyball battled Russell Sage through five sets Saturday morning at the Nielsen Center, ultimately defeating the Gators 3-2. Houghton dropped the opening set 26-24 before responding with a 26-24 victory in the second. The Highlanders then won a marathon third set 29-27, fell 26-24 in the fourth, and closed out the match with a 15-8 victory in the decisive fifth set. The win moved Houghton to 11-13 overall and 6-3 in Empire 8 play.
The match was a true test of will and endurance, as each of the first four sets went beyond the standard 25-point mark. With both teams showing incredible resilience and fight, Houghton was able to secure the comeback victory through five sets of impressive effort.
The Highlanders recorded 48 kills and a .147 hitting percentage as a team. Houghton saved its strongest offensive performance for the decisive fifth set, recording four kills without an error on 15 attacks for a .267 hitting percentage. The Highlanders also finished with 75 digs, 10 service aces, and 10 total blocks.
Morgan Brace directed Houghton's offense with 30 assists while recording five kills, seven digs, and two total blocks.
Alexa Belanger contributed three kills, 13 digs, and a service ace, while
Paige Brennan recorded 14 digs and two service aces.
GAME VITALS
Final Score: Houghton 3, Russell Sage 2
Set Scores: 24-26, 26-24, 27-29, 26-24, 15-8
Records: Houghton (11-13, 6-3 Empire 8) | Russell Sage (11-13, 3-5 Empire 8)
Location: Nielsen Center — Houghton, N.Y. | Attendance: 100
NOTABLE STATS
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Petra Thomas led the Highlanders with 13 kills on 30 attacks, finishing with a .367 hitting percentage and two block assists.
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Praylan Perkins recorded 10 kills, five service aces, and six digs.
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Jessica Prentice contributed seven kills, 14 digs, two service aces, and three total blocks.
HOUGHTON, N.Y. — GAME TWO
Houghton Women's Volleyball battled Messiah through four sets Saturday afternoon at the Nielsen Center, ultimately falling to the Falcons, 3-1. Houghton took the opening set 25-23 before Messiah responded by winning the next three sets, 25-23, 25-18, and 26-24. The loss moved the Highlanders to 11-14 overall and 6-3 in Empire 8 play.
The Highlanders recorded 41 kills and a .153 hitting percentage as a team. Houghton opened the match with 13 kills and a .192 hitting percentage in the first set before recording nine kills in the second, eight in the third, and 11 in the fourth. The Highlanders also finished with 59 digs, eight service aces, and 15 total blocks.
Alexa Belanger led Houghton with 12 kills on 35 attacks while adding eight digs, one service ace, and a block assist.
Petra Thomas contributed nine kills on 19 attacks for a team-best .368 hitting percentage while recording one solo block and five block assists.
Jessica Prentice added six kills, 13 digs, one service ace, and four block assists.
Morgan Brace directed the Houghton offense with 28 assists while adding 10 digs and two block assists.
Praylan Perkins contributed seven kills, three service aces, and seven digs, while
Becca Wilkins led the Highlanders with 19 digs.
GAME VITALS
Final Score: Houghton 1, Messiah 3
Set Scores: Houghton 25-23-18-24 | Messiah 23-25-25-26
Records: Houghton (11-14, 6-3 Empire 8) | Messiah (13-9, 3-2 MAC Commonwealth)
Location: Nielsen Center — Houghton, N.Y. | Attendance: 125
NOTABLE STATS
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Alexa Belanger led the Highlanders with 12 kills, eight digs, one service ace, and one block assist.
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Petra Thomas recorded nine kills on 19 attacks for a .368 hitting percentage while contributing one solo block and five block assists.
UP NEXT
The Highlanders will return to action on Friday, October 30, for a road match against SUNY Geneseo. With a start time of 7:00 PM, Houghton will hope to secure an important conference victory in their second-to-last regular season match of the year.
