Canton, NY – Alexas Marshall recorded a team-high 19 kills and Sarah Balcom chipped in 17 more as the SUNY Canton women's volleyball team earned two victories over Alfred State and VTSU Johnson on Friday night.

The Roos won 3-1 (25-21, 9-25, 25-19, 26-24) in their opener with the Pioneers and swept the Badgers 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) in the second match.

THE BASICS

• Result:  Match 1: SUNY Canton 3, Alfred State 1 | Match 2: SUNY Canton 3, VTSU Johnson 0
• Location: Roos House – Canton, NY
• Records: SUNY Canton (5-3) | Alfred State (4-3) | VTSU Johnson (2-6)

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
MATCH 1 - BOX SCORE

• The Roos jumped out to an early 13-9 lead in the opening set following a Brooke Hite ace. Canton led 16-11 after a Balcom kill but the Pioneers trimmed the deficit to just one at 20-19. Canton scored five of the final seven points to earn the first set win 25-21.
• Alfred State roared out to a 15-1 lead in the second set as the Roos struggled with their passing game. The Pioneers cruised to a 25-9 second set win.
• Canton opened a 14-8 lead in the third set. After trailing 18-17 the Roos ran off seven straight points to open a 24-18 lead en route to the 25-19 win.
• The teams were even again at 14 each midway through the fourth set and neither team led by more than two points the remainder of the way. With the match tied at 24 each the Roos benefitted from a pair of Alfred State attack errors to secure the fourth frame and match 26-24.
• Balcom led the Roos with 12 kills and four total blocks hitting .632 on 19 swings without a single error, while Marshall totaled 10 kills on just 15 attempts hitting .600. Brooke Hite chipped in eight kills hitting .353, while Emerson Coulter supplied seven kills and seven digs. Sarah Towles paced the Canton defense with 11 digs and Sammie Frank set up the offense with 28 assists.

MATCH 2 - BOX SCORE

• In the first set, both teams traded points early on, with 10 ties through the first 13 points.  The Roos rattled off five straight points, capped by a Marshall kill, to lead 18-13.  After two quick Badger points, it was all Canton as the team closed out the match 25-18 on a Coulter ace.
• In the second set, the Roos jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead that included three Bria Hunter kills.  Canton extended it's lead to 17-8 on a Balcom kill.  From there, the Roos dominance continued, taking a 24-15 lead off a Hunter kill and ace before closing it out 25-15.
• In the third and final set, it was Johnson who led early, 3-1.  Canton scored five of the next six including another Hunter kill to gain a 6-4 advantage.  A Marshall ace put the Roos up 13-8 before Johnson pushed back, closing the gap to 13-11.  Canton maintained the lead as the two teams swapped points until the Badgers finally tied the match 20-20.  The Roos regained the lead, going up 23-21 on a Marshall ace, and eventually took the match 25-22 and the three-game sweep.
• Marshall led the Roos with nine kills on 13 attempts, hitting .615.  Hunter and Coulter finished with eight each and Balcom had five on seven attempts, hitting .571.  Coulter also led the team with nine digs while McKenna Pelech had a game-high 24 assists.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are back in action next Friday when they square off in the SLU Triad against host St. Lawrence at 4 p.m. followed by SUNY Potsdam at 6 p.m.  
About SUNY Canton
Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, and public service. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.