ROCHESTER, NY – Strong play by Aleah Chinn (Wichita, KS/Witchita Southeast) and Sarah Szybist (Chicago, IL/Ramstein) was key for the RIT women's volleyball team (9-5) late, as they were able to come back from a two sets to one deficit and defeat the University of Rochester (8-6) in five sets, in a wild match at Clark Gymnasium Tuesday evening.
 
Szybist led the team with 23 kills, adding 16 digs and four service aces, while hitting .346. Chinn came on late, adding eight kills. Erin Parkinson (Carrollton, TX/W.T. White) had 43 assists. Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Taylor Harkness (Batavia, NY/Batavia) led the Tigers with four blocks apiece.
 
The Tigers set the tone early in the first set, starting the match with five straight points, including two Amy Van Hienen (Castor, Alberta/Gus Wetter) service aces. From there, Parkinson and Szybist took over, with Parkinson racking up five digs and 10 assists, mostly to Szybist, who had seven kills. RIT's five aces propelled them to a 25-13 set win.
 
In the second, the Yellow Jackets responded, forcing RIT errors to take the set by a 25-16 margin. Rochester's Meghan Connor kept them ahead with strong digs.
 
In the crucial third set, the Tigers raced out to a 10-4 lead, the Yellow Jackets were able to claw back into the game, knotting it at 10. Back and forth the two teams went, trading points, neither team taking any more than a two-point advantage.  Timely points from Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) helped to keep the Tigers in the game, but a service ace by Rochester's Nina Baek, and a kill by Alexandra Nelligan, gave the Yellow Jackets the 26-24 edge.
 
The fourth set was a wild one, as RIT did not back down trailing late. Down 19-16, the Tigers rallied with six straight points. Chinn was the impetus, with three straight points to bring the Tigers back from the brink. The Yellow Jackets came back to knot the game at 23, but Szybist put the set away, with a set-winning kill to take a 25-23 win, knotting the match at 2.
 
In the fifth and final set, the two local rivals went down to the wire. Crucial points by Szybist and Anna Valentine (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) were enough, as the Tigers took a hard fought 15-11 win.
 
RIT was able to win despite 15 service errors in the match. The Tigers hit .131 as a team.
 
"I thought we played a solid match versus a good opponent," said RIT women's volleyball head coach Jim Lodes. "We have some areas that still need consistency but we are definitely improving. I think that this was a good win for us."
 
Jennie Ford led the University of Rochester with 15 kills and three service aces. Aimee Kohler had 29 assists. Connor kept the Yellow Jackets in the game with 21 digs.
 
The Tigers will go on the road as they take on Medaille College (6-3) for the second time this season at the Canton Classic in Canton, N.Y. on Friday, Sept. 25. Last time these two teams played, the Mavericks prevailed in three sets at the Golden Flyer Invitational on Sept. 11.