The William Smith College volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 sweep of St. Lawrence University this evening in a Liberty League matchup in Bristol Gymnasium. The Herons extended their win-streak to three matches and move to 10-7 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Saints fall to 4-11 overall with a 1-4 mark in the Liberty League.
Leading the way for the Herons was sophomore Malya Sayre with 11 kills on 27 swings, hitting .296 through three sets. William Smith put down 37 kills as a team, hitting .260 compared to St. Lawrence’s 26 kills and .111 hitting percentage.
MATCH MOMENTS:
- The Herons and the Saints traded the early points in set one before William Smith grabbed the momentum of the match though tough serving from first-year Maysie Malinaric. Sayre led the Herons with five kills, hitting .231 as William Smith finished set one on top, 25-18.
- William Smith continued on its momentum from set one and produced one of its best offensive sets of the season, hitting .433 as a unit and putting down 14 kills. The Herons opened the set on a 6-0 run and continued their big lead through the remainder of the set, winning 25-13.
- The Herons grabbed an early lead in the final set after a strong service run for junior Elaina Wamhoff, who collected back-to-back aces for William Smith. Sophomores Marin Montagne and Jaylynn McCarthy led the Herons with three kills each in the final set to close out the match on top 3-0.
MATCH STATS:
- Sayre led the Herons with 11 kills (.296), followed by McCarthy with eight (.217). Wamhoff (.438) and Montagne (.304) chipped in seven apiece along with an impressive zero hitting errors.
- Wamhoff recorded 22 assists, eight digs, seven kills (.438), four services aces and one solo block in the win.
- McCarthy recorded a team-leading 14 digs, while Malinaric added 13. Sayre chipped in nine in the sweep.
- William Smith compiled eight service aces as a team compared to St. Lawrence’s two. Wamhoff recorded a game-leading four aces while Malinaric, McCarthy, Sayre and sophomore Cydney Fernandez each chipped in one.
COACHES CORNER:
“Tonight was a really strong win for the Herons,” said Head Coach Derryk Williams. “From top to bottom, we played the style we wanted and stuck to the game plan. I am really happy with the way we performed, and we’re excited to prepare for Ithaca!”
UP NEXT:
William Smith will be back in action Tuesday, Oct. 17, when it heads to conference foe, Ithaca. First serve between the Herons and the Bombers is set for 6 p.m. in Ben Light Gymnasium.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].