ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (6-8, 0-1 Liberty League) women's volleyball team was defeated by Skidmore College (6-6, 1-0 Liberty League) 3-1 in the Liberty League opener Friday evening from Clark Gymnasium. The Tigers won the first set 25-20, but lost 22-25, 21-25 and 27-25.

Taylor Higgins (Peru, NY/Peru) and Katie Hobler (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) led RIT with 16 kills apiece. Kelly Waters (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) added 13 kills, while Shelby Doheny (Moreau, NY/South Glens Falls) had 10 kills. Higgins added a team-high 21 digs, while Brianna Ellis (Wayne, PA/Radnor) finished with a career-high 55 assists. Maria Simonetti (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) tallied 19 digs, while Kiana Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) added 11 digs.
 
Katy Ehnstrom led Skidmore with 12 kills and eight digs. Alex Estey added eight kills, while Sophie Hettler and Lauren Wolters each had seven digs. Wolters finished with 32 assists, and she and Frida Anguiano each had 17 digs.
 
RIT took set 1, 25-20. Hobler led the Tigers with five kills, hitting .714 in the set, while Ellis handed out 15 assists. Higgins added five digs for the Tigers who hit .500 for the set.

Skidmore led by as many as four points in the second set, but RIT battled back tying the score at 20-20 on a kill from Walters off an assist from Ellis. Skidmore took a 24-22 lead on a kill by Lauren Wolters and went on to win the set 25-22. RIT hit .043 for he set, including 10 attack errors.

The Thoroughbreds kept the momentum going in the third set, opening up an 11-5 lead on the Tigers. Higgins broke the Skidmore run with three straight kills, cutting the deficit to 11-8. Waters cut the lead to 12-9 on her kill, and Kiana Walker (Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive) served up an ace to make it 12-11 Skidmore, and a combined block from Hobler and Waters gave the Tigers their first lead at 14-13.

Tied 17-17, the Thoroughbreds ran off three straight points, taking a 20-17 lead on a service-ace from Audrey Powell. Skidmore would go on to win the third set 25-21.
 
RIT jumped out to a 7-4 lead early in the fourth set on a kill by Higgins. Skidmore came back to tie the set at 8-8 on a RIT attack error, but Kills from Higgins (2) and Waters gave the Tigers a 12-8 lead. The Thoroughbreds came back to tie the set at 13 apiece, but the Tigers rattled off two straight points, taking a 15-13 lead on a kill from Hobler.
 
Skidmore came back to tie the set at 18-18, and extended its lead to 21-19 on a RIT attack error. The Tigers pulled to within a point at 22-21 on a kill by Higgins, but the Thoroughbreds answered right back with a point to lead 23-21. RIT came back to tie the score at 24-24 on an attack error by the Thoroughbreds, and took a 25-24 lead on a big kill from Hobler.
 
Skidmore would outscore the Tigers 3-0 to take the match 27-25.

RIT returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 28, when the Tigers face Union College at 2 p.m. on the floor of Clark Gymnasium.