Box l Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth defeated visiting Geneseo in a women's non-conference volleyball match Wednesday evening. The Golden Flyers downed the Knights in four sets by the scores of 25-11, 25-21, 23-25, 25-23. Nazareth used a balanced offensive attack with seven players recording kills and four different players tallying at least nine kills. Seniors Maria Allocco and Kassandra Buseck and junior Jennifer Hicks had 10 kills apiece to lead the Golden Flyers.

Following the victory, Nazareth improves to 22-9 overall. With the loss, Geneseo drops to 17-8 overall.

The Golden Flyers recorded a .529 attack percentage on 10 kills, one error, and 17 attempts to take control of the opening set. Nazareth also connected on four of their 14 service aces, and held the Knights to a .038 attack percentage on seven kills, six errors, and 26 attempts. Buseck, Allocco, Hicks, and senior Olivia Harrigan combined for 9 kills with no errors to lead the offense. Defensively, sophomore Madi Wickens had four digs in the set, and Hicks had a solo block. Sophomore Maureen Thayer also had three digs, and she delivered three of her match-high five digs during the set.

In the second set, Nazareth had 10 kills and three errors on 33 attempts for a .212 attack percentage. The Knights, meanwhile, improved to a .139 percentage with 12 kills and seven errors on 36 attempts to close the Golden Flyers' margin of victory. Thayer had five digs, while Hicks and Harrigan each had multiple assisted blocks to frustrate Geneseo. Allocco finished with three kills in the set to lead Nazareth.

The Golden Flyers managed nine kills with five errors in the third set for a .154 attack percentage to allow the Knights to climb back into the match. Geneseo converted on 14 kills with only five errors for a .300 attack percentage. Nazareth took an 11-5 lead following a pair of aces by Thayer and a kill from Allocco, however the Knights used a 14-8 scoring run to chip away at the Golden Flyers' lead to tie the match at 19 points apiece. Consecutive errors by Nazareth provided Geneseo its 23rd and 24th points, then Tricia Pixley sealed the set with a kill. Pixley finished with a team-high nine kills.

The fourth set remained close as neither team was able to build a lead of more than three points. The Golden Flyers pounded 18 kills but committed 10 hitting errors to keep the Knights in it. Geneseo tallied only four kills and had six attack errors, but they also took advantage of three of their seven aces in the match. After taking a 24-21 lead, Geneseo took the next two points on a Nazareth hitting error and a Knights' ace, but Buseck eventually sealed the win with her 10th kill.

The Golden Flyers are in action again this weekend when Nazareth travels to Stevens for the New York Challenge. The Golden Flyers are scheduled to play Kean and New York University on Friday, then Nazareth will play Montclair and Rowan Saturday. The Golden Flyers will also play the Empire 8 Tournament in Hoboken, New Jersey, after Stevens claimed the top seed. Nazareth is the second seed.