The University of Rochester volleyball team posted a 3-0 sweep over crosstown rival RIT on Friday afternoon, taking the second game between the two schools in the 2023 season series.
Rochester (14-8), previously won over RIT 3-0 in early September, closing out a perfect record at the UR Volleyball Invitational Tournament. Friday's match was more of the same, as Rochester earned the win by set scores of 25-20, 25-11 and 25-19.
The Yellowjackets hit well in the match, finishing the three-set affair at .276 as a team, hitting 42 kills to just 15 errors in 98 total attacks. RIT (8-19), meanwhile, struggled hitting the ball, finishing at just .067 in the match, making 21 errors to just 27 kills over 90 swings.
Eight players had multiple kills for Rochester, led by Areti Tsirikaki and Ashley Cook who each had nine. The pair had nearly identical lines, with Cook going for 9 kills and 3 errors in 23 attacks with 1 ace, 2 blocks and 6 digs. Tsirikaki finished with 9 kills, 3 errors and 21 attempts, also ending with 1 ace, 2 blocks and 6 digs.
Myla Nover-Estes finished with eight kills, while Ruby Moore chipped in six. McKenzie McDonald had a team-high 27 assists, while Lydia Weeks and La'I Yuen ended with seven digs each, leading the Yellowjackets. At the net, Bri Jones stuffed three blocks, adding four kills on offense.
Set one was full of multiple point runs, with Rochester pulling way ahead after a six-point burst to go ahead 17-10. A kill by Paige Stephenson started it, with Cook providing a pair of kills in the spurt that was finished off by a McDonald ace.
RIT tried to chip away, getting as close as four points down, but another kill from Cook closed out the first set 25-20 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
Rochester asserted itself early in set two, jumping in front 7-2. Two Nover-Estes points, along with aces from Cook and Lilly Kraemer fueled the early surge.
After a timeout with the Tigers down 11-3, RIT scored the next two points, but Rochester responded with five of the next six points to reach a ten-point cushion, sitting up 16-6.
Later, another 5-0 run put the Yellowjackets up 22-9, with kills from Jones, Cook and Tsirikaki highlighting that stretch. Two RIT errors closed out the 25-11 win for UR.
RIT was able to hang with the Yellowjackets during the third set, building a lead as big as three points, sitting up 14-11 following a service ace. Rochester won five of the next six points though, edging in front 16-15. After RIT tied it at 16-all, UR cruised to a strong finish, taking nine of 12 points to secure the 25-19 win, closing out the sweep.
UR finished the match in style, with Cook smacking a kill for the final point, right after two back-to-back assisted blocks from Jones and Cook.
Rochester begins a five-match home stand to close out the regular season on Saturday, hosting Alfred University (11 am) and SUNY Oneonta (1 pm) in matches at the Palestra.