ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT volleyball team (20-15) played its final home match of the 2016 regular season, losing a five-set thriller to The College at Brockport (28-2) at Clark Gym on Tuesday evening. Brockport has now won 18 straight matches.
 
RIT won the first set, 25-19 before Brockport took the next two sets, 25-18 and 25-21. The Tigers rebounded to win set four, 29-27 before Brockport withstood a late RIT rally to win the fifth set, 15-11.
 
The Tigers had 64 kills to Brockport's 55. RIT and Brockport were nearly even in points, with the Tigers holding a slight 77-76 edge. Brockport had 14 service aces to RIT's eight.
 
Senior outside hitter Sarah Szybist (Colorado Springs, CO/Ramstein) led all players on the floor with 24 kills, hitting .360 to go along with 19 digs and three service aces. Sophomore middle hitter Liz Wunder (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) tied her career-high with 17 kills, hitting a tremendous .424, while adding two blocks. Sophomore Sara Taylor (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) hit .500 with seven kills, while classmate Erin Parkinson (Carrollton, TX/W.T. White) added 46 assists, 10 digs, six kills, and three service aces. Junior libero Rebecca Bennett (Springfield, PA/Springfield) led all players on the floor with 21 digs, while Anna Valentine (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) added 16.
 
Szybist leads all of Division III with 702 kills this season and is now just five shy of 2,500 in her illustrious RIT career.
 
DeAnna Ortiz-Whittemore led the Golden Eagles with 17 kills, while adding three blocks. Sam Holdredge recorded a double-double, with 11 kills and 11 digs, while Brianna Richardson and Kelly Waters recorded nine kills each. Setter Nicole Poloncarz dished out 46 assists to go along with nine digs, while Kathleen Irwin had a match-high 21 digs.

"I'm really proud of our effort tonight," said RIT head coach Jim Lodes. "Brockport just keeps coming at you and we competed in every set. We did a better job of playing with good energy and focus at critical times. I like our chances the rest of this season if we continue to build from here."

RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 50-30.
 
RIT wraps up the regular season this weekend at the New York State Regional Challenge hosted by New York University at Hunter College. RIT faces Stevens on Friday and 6 p.m. and takes on host NYU and Montclair State Saturday.