SCRANTON, PA – The RIT volleyball team (1-1) began the 2018 season by splitting a pair of matches at the Scranton Invitational, hosted by the University of Scranton on Friday evening. RIT knocked off the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (0-2) in four sets before falling to host Scranton (2-0) in three sets.
 
The Tigers opened the day and 2018 season with a 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22 win over Pitt.-Bradford. The Tigers hit .200 for the match and had 73 points to 49 for Pitt.-Bradford.
 
Junior Kelly Waters (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) made her RIT debut one to remember, slamming a team-best 14 kills, while hitting .609 with a pair of blocks. She was one of four Tigers with at least 10 kills and nine with at least five.
 
Taylor Higgins (Peru, NY/Peru) recorded 13 kills, eight digs and four service aces, while Shelby Doheny (Moreau, NY/South Glens Falls) and freshman Katie Hobler (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) added 10 kills apiece. Doheny also hit .429 in the win, while Hobler added 10 digs. Senior Sara Taylor (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) led RIT with 15 digs to go along with nine kills.
 
Senior Erin Parkinson (Carrollton, TX/W.T. White) had a match-high 47 assists and added 13 digs, while Paige Daly (Allison Park, PA/Hampton) also recorded 13 digs.
 
Emily Cleveland led Pitt.-Bradford with 10 kills, while Laura Hildebrand added 18 digs. Payton Orzech had 24 assists and 13 digs.
 
"Overall, I was really pleased with our performance in the win," said Lodes. "We accomplished implementing many of the key items we worked on this preseason and is a good match to build from."
 
Against host Scranton, RIT held late leads in each of the first two sets before the Royals recorded consecutive 25-23 wins. RIT would get back into the match with a 25-20 win in set three before the hosts put the match away with a 25-14 win in the fourth set.
 
Scranton held a 60-53 edge in points and 67-60 advantage in digs.
 
Hobler led the Tigers offensively with 14 kills, while hitting .314 against Scranton. Higgins added 12 digs and eight kills, while Taylor recorded seven kills. Parkinson added 28 assists, a team-best 17 digs and three kills in four attempts. Waters and Doheny recorded a pair of assisted blocks apiece.
 
Kristin Kirwan had 13 kills to lead Scranton, while Kate Calabro added 12. Kindler Norman had 32 assists, 21 digs and four blocks.
 
RIT returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 1 with matches against Hood College at 10:30 a.m. and Eastern University at 12:30 p.m. to wrap up play at the Scranton Invitational.