ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT senior outside hitter Katie Hobler (Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) totaled a match-high 18 kills, including the 1,000th of her career, to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-22) sweep of visiting Alfred, Wednesday, in both teams' season-opener.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

•  RIT opened an early 13-3 first-set lead following a 12-1 run capped by back-to-back kills by freshman outside hitter Sam Cox (Glen Gardner, NJ/Voorhees) and a service ace by freshman setter Sydney Neff (Delmar, NY/Academy of the Holy Names). The Saxons scored five of the next seven points to pull within seven, 15-8, but the Tigers used a 10-3 run to close the set.
• RIT built a 6-1 lead to start the second set, including two Hobler kills and two service aces by freshman outside hitter Cat Vento (Coram, NY/Newfield), before Alfred came back to make it a two-point deficit, 7-5. The teams traded points before the Tigers used a 5-1 run, including a pair of kills by senior outside hitter Taylor Higgins (Peru, NY/Peru), to open a 14-8 lead. Alfred scored back-to-back points, but RIT pulled away with a 9-1 spurt led by three Hobler kills to build a 23-11 lead that proved insurmountable.
• A back-and-forth third period, which included seven lead changes and nine ties, saw RIT dig out of a 15-13 deficit with a 6-0 run, including three Hobler kills, to take a 19-15 lead. Alfred got as close as two multiple times down the stretch, including 24-22, but a Hobler closed the match with her final kill of the game.

GAME NOTES 

• Higgins led all defenders with 10 digs, followed by Neff's eight and Hobler's six.
• Neff also compiled 17 assists in her first collegiate match.
• Vento served up a match-high six aces, while Neff totaled four. 

WHAT'S NEXT
RIT will play four matches at the U of R Invitational this Friday and Saturday. The Tigers will face Smith (5:00 PM) and Medaille (7:00 PM) on Friday, before facing Oneonta (1:00 PM) and Buffalo State (3:00 PM) on Saturday.