Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton women's volleyball team swept both of their best of three matches to open pool play on Thursday at the 2014 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Volleyball National Championships hosted on the campus of SUNY Canton.

The Roos were one of just four undefeated teams on the day as they defeated both Concordia College Alabama 2-0 (25-19, 25-15) and Penn State Fayette 2-0 (25-18, 25-20) in straight sets. SUNY Canton, the number four overall seed, was joined by the No. 1 seed Florida College, the No. 3 seed Alfred State College and the No. 6 seed University of Cincinnati Clermont as the only undefeated teams after the first day of play. 
 

After trailing early in the first set against No. 10 seed Concordia College Alabama the Roos used strong play down the stretch scoring five consecutive points to close out the set after leading 20-19. SUNY Canton seized the momentum and got off to a quick 12-5 start in the second frame earning the sweep with a 25-15 performance.

Jessica Reynolds (Oakville, ON) had a phenomenal match finishing with 11 kills (5.5/set) on just 18 attack attempts (.611) to go with her six digs. Morgan Bills (Walworth) floored nine balls, while Kelsy Cornish (Honeoye, NY) added eight kills and six digs on a .375 hitting percentage. Mackenzie Mynter (Churchville, NY) posted 28 assists, six digs and two kills (2-0-3), while Caitlin Grimshaw (Adams, NY) led the team with eight digs.

The Roos hit a sizzling .391 as a team compared to a .125 percentage for their opponents. SUNY Canton finished with 34 kills compared to 13 for the visitors.
The hosts of the 2014 USCAA Championships continued to show their confidence in the second and final match of the day jumping out to a 15-8 start in front of a large crowd in Dana Hall. Penn State Fayette showed its toughness and was strong defensively scoring seven of the next nine points to climb within 17-15. The Roos responded to claim a 25-18 first set win.
 

SUNY Canton once shot out of the gates with an early 7-3 lead in the second and held a 17-13 advantage just past the midway point. In one of the most entertaining games of the day that included numerous long volleys and strong defense the hosts earned the win with a hard fought 25-20 effort.

Robyn Carroll (Bowmanville, ON) was an absolute force defensively against the Roaring Lions making several diving plays to save points as she finished with 10 digs. Three others players finished with double digit digs including Mynter (11), Cornish (11) and Grimshaw (10). Reynolds once again led the team offensively with nine kills and added nine digs and three service aces. Mynter assisted 21 kills, while Grimshaw and Bills combined for 11 putdowns.

The women's volleyball team will continue play beginning at 10:00 a.m. against the No. 6 seed University of Cincinnati Clermont at 10:00 a.m. in the Roos House. They then square off with the No. 2 seed Rochester College at 2:30 p.m. also in the Roos House.

After the pool play matches conclude the top four teams in each pool will advance and be reseeded based off records and a single elimination round will begin. To follow along with all the action check out the USCAA Volleyball Championships Page. There will also be LIVE VIDEO available for all of Friday's matches.   
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About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.