| 9/12/2008 10:23:28 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT women's volleyball team advanced to the championship bracket of the 20th Annual RIT Invitational with a thrilling, five-set win over SUNY Fredonia on Friday evening. The Tigers downed the Devils by scores of 25-23, 21-25, 25-13, 22-25 and 15-12 and will play Nazareth College tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the first of two semifinal matches in the winners bracket.

With RIT clinging to 13-12 lead in the deciding fifth set, senior Nichole Boxler (Varysburg, NY/Attica) (Varysburg, NY/Attica) fed Kate Gleason (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) who slammed home a point to make it 14-12 RIT. On the ensuing serve both teams volleyed until Boxler found Vic Petko (East Amherst, NY/Clarence) (East Amherst, NY/Clarence) who ripped her 16th kill of the match to give the Tigers the win.

Petko led RIT with 16 kills, hitting .387 and had six blocks. Dani Liesman (Ridgecrest, CA/Burroughs) (Ridgecrest, CA/Burroughs) had 12 kills, hitting .321. Boxler had 37 assist, seven digs and three blocks. Heidi Little (Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) (Glenville, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) added seven kills and three blocks and Megan Henriksen (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel) (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Council) and Gleason each had 13 digs.

The win ups RIT's record to 5-5 on the season and they will go for six-in-a-row tomorrow morning versus Nazareth College in a re-match of last year's title match. First serve is at 10 am.