Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton women's volleyball team dropped an early match to Hilbert College 3-1 before rebounding and sweeping VTSU Johnson in their second match of the day.

THE BASICS

• Result:  Match 1: Hilbert 3, SUNY Canton 1 | Match 2: SUNY Canton 3, VTSU Johnson 0
• Location: Roos House – Canton, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (2-7) | Hilbert (4-4) | VTSU Johnson (2-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
MATCH 1 - BOX SCORE

• Play was close in the opening set with the teams deadlocked at 10 apiece midway through the frame. From there Hilbert rattled off five consecutive points to open a 15-10 advantage.
• The Roos got within 16-15 but the Hawks responded with an 8-1 run that ultimately put things away, 25-19.
• The Hawks got out to a 10-3 advantage in the second set as they controlled the stanza leading 16-7 before closing things out 25-14.
• Canton doubled up Hilbert 10-5 early in the third set and extended its lead to as many as eight (18-10) after Sarah Balcom and Bria Hunter combined for a block. The Hawks roared back using a 12-4 run to tie things at 22 apiece. The Roos bounced back with a kill from Cadin Taggart and a pair of aces from Sammie Frank to take the third frame, 25-22.
• The hosts led 16-12 midway through the fourth set looking to force a decisive fifth frame.
• The Roos continued to lead by four (19-15) late in the set but four straight from Hilbert tied things up at 19. After a kill from Balcom and a Hawk error Canton clung to a two-point advantage, but Hilbert scored the final six points of the set to take the match, 25-21.
• Balcom paced the Roos with 10 kills, while Cassidy Werner added nine. Taggart and Hunter supplied six kills apiece, while Sammie Frank dished out a match-high 31 assists to go with nine digs and four aces. Kaylee Clark tied a match-best with 16 digs, while Sarah Towles chipped in 13 digs defensively. Balcom (4), Werner (4) and Hunter (3) combined for 11 total blocks. 

MATCH 2 - BOX SCORE

• The first set against Johnson saw 15 lead changes, as both teams fought to control play. A Max Ludlow kill put the Badgers on top 9-6, but three-straight Balcom points on a kill and two aces knotted things up at nine.  Johnson again pushed their lead to 22-17 however the Roos scored eight of the next 10 points to lead 25-24.  Consecutive kills by sophomore Brooke Hite and Taggart closed the set 27-25.
• Canton took the lead early in the second set and never relinquished it.  After the Roos ran their lead to 11-5 on a Taggart kill, the Badgers would close the gap on a Ludlow kill, making the score 15-12.
• A kill by freshman Hannah Lombardi pushed the Roos lead to 21-14.  Johnson again tightened the set, scoring seven of the next nine points, but Canton would close it out on a Balcom kill to win 25-22.
• In the last set it was Johnson who secured the early advantage on a Ludlow kill to lead 12-6.  The Badgers would claw their way ahead 20-13 on a Natalia Medina ace before the Roos tallied 11 of the next 13 points, capped by a Lombardi kill.  With the score knotted at 24, the two teams traded the next four points before two straight Hunter kills closed out the set 28-26 and led to the Roos sweep.
• Hunter led SUNY Canton with 11 kills in the match, Taggart and Balcom each recorded seven.  Clark tallied 20 digs and Frank was credited with 26 assists.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are back in action when they host the second day of the North Country Classic on Saturday. SUNY Canton squares off with Wells at 2 p.m. and Plattsburgh State at 4 p.m.
   
About SUNY Canton
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.