ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT is set to host the 2021 Liberty League Women's Volleyball Tournament this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5-6, in Clark Gymnasium. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 6 - Semifinals
#4 St. Lawrence 3, #1 RIT 2 (20-25, 17-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-11) -
BOX SCORE
#3 Clarkson 3, #2 Ithaca 1 (16-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19) -
BOX SCORE
Saturday, Nov. 7 - Championship
Clarkson 3, St. Lawrence 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-11) -
BOX SCORE
#1 SEED RIT (24-3)
RIT is in the mix for its second Liberty League Championship and first since 2018. The Tigers earned the tournament top seed after finishing with an undefeated 7-0 conference record for the first time in program history. Senior outside hitter
Katie Hobler enters the postseason ranked 15th nationally and second in the Liberty League with 4.11 kills per set. The 2018 Liberty League Tournament MVP also ranks second in the conference this season with a .308 hitting percentage, while RIT stands eighth nationally as a team with a .256 average. Freshman setter
Sydney Neff ranks 10th nationally and first in the conference with 10.45 assists per set. Senior outside hitter
Taylor Higgins ranks third in the legue with 3.24 kills per set, eighth with a .244 hitting percentage and seventh with 0.48 service aces per set. Freshman middle
Cat Vento averages a league-best 1.02 blocks per set while senior middle
Calista Gasper is fifth with 0.70 blocks per set and sixth with .261 hitting percentage. Freshman defensive specialist
Hailey Blixt lead the Liberty League with 0.80 service aces per set while senior libero
Kiana Walker is third with 4.12 digs per set and fourth with 0.52 service aces per set. RIT ranks 16th nationally in opponents hitting percentage, limiting teams to a .092 hitting percentage this fall.
#2 SEED ITHACA (16-12)
Ithaca is in the hunt for its first Liberty Leauge crown, finishing runner-up in 2017 and 2019. The Bombers finished with a 6-1 regular-season conference record, including a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-23) sweep at Clarkson (Sept. 25). Sophomore middle Jamie Koopman ranks third in the conference with a .308 hitting percentage and third with 0.81 blocks per set, while senior outside hitter Jaelyn Hershberger is ninth with 2.36 kills per set. Senior libero Jordyn Lyn Hayashi ranks second in the conference with 4.83 digs per set. Graduate student middle Paris Buckner is second in the league with 0.99 blocks per set followed by junior teammate Jennifer Pitts in fourth with 0.70. Freshman setter Peyton Miller is seventh with 5.51 assists per set.
#3 CLARKSON (17-9)
Clarkson is in search of its record ninth Liberty League Championship title, winning the crown in 2009, six straight times from 2012-2017, and again in 2019. Junior libero Emma Baxter averages a Liberty League-best 5.16 digs per set and is also 10th in the conference with 0.45 service aces per set. Junior setter Isabelle Crow is second in the league with 9.78 assists per set. Graduate student middle Gillian Kurtic ranks fifth in the conference with a .293 hitting percentage and seventh with 2.77 kills per set, just ahead of junior teammate Kristin Werdine in eighth with 2.75 kills/set. Kurtic is also ranked seventh with 0.63 blocks per set and eighth with 0.47 service aces per set.
#4 ST. LAWRENCE (16-10)
St. Lawrence seeks its second Liberty League title and first since 2010. Senior outside hitter Natalie Piper ranks 10th nationally and leads the league with 4.29 kills per set and sits second in the conference with 0.71 service aces per set. She also ranks 10th in the league with a .242 hitting percentage as well as 3.08 digs per set. Senior outside hitter Annika Kreppein ranks sixth in the conference with a 3.06 hitting percentage and ninth with 3.16 digs per set. Junior setter Allie Posnick sits fourth in the league with 7.49 assists per set and sixth with 0.49 service aces per set. Senior defensive specialist Reagan Collier-Hogan ranks fourth in the league with 3.63 digs per set.
