ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT sophomore outside hitter Liv Benard totaled match-highs of 14 kills and 11 digs to lead the Tigers over Vassar, 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-21) in the Liberty League Women's Volleyball Tournament Quarterfinals, Tuesday.
 
RIT advances to Friday's semifinals to face top-seeded Ithaca at 6:30 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• RIT opened a 12-6 first-set lead, but Vassar rebounded with an 8-4 run to pull within two, 16-14, and later tied the score, 19-19. The Tigers scored five-consecutive points to take a 24-19 lead it would not relinquish en route to the opening victory.
• Vassar took an early 4-3 lead in the second, but RIT responded with a 7-2 surge to take a 10-6 lead. Later leading 16-10, the Tigers rattled off nine of the final 10 points, to close out a two-set lead.
• Neither team led by more than two points in the third set, until the Tigers put together a 5-1 run to take a 22-17 edge. The Brewers pulled back within two, 22-20, but RIT clinched the victory notching three of the final four points, including two kills by Benard. 

MATCH NOTES

• RIT qualified for its fourth-consecutive Liberty League Semifinal appearance and will be in the hunt for its first finals appearance since winning the program's first conference championship in 2018.
• The Liberty League Tournament field expanded from four to six teams for the 2022 season after William Smith became the ninth member of the conference to field a women's volleyball team this year.
• Junior setter Sydney Neff totaled 38 assists while directing the Tigers to a .312 team attack percentage.