Box Score Box l Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth outlasted visiting Houghton in five sets in a women's Empire 8 volleyball match on Wednesday evening. The scores were 27-19, 25-16, 26-24, 23-25, 15-9. Seniors Kassandra Buseck and Maria Allocco each recorded career-highs in kills with 25 kills and 21 kills, respectively. Sophomore Madi Wickens amassed 68 assists, falling only two shy of the school-record of 70, and classmate Maureen Thayer had 31 digs.

With the victory, the Golden Flyers improve to 11-5 overall and 3-0 in the Empire 8. Following the loss, the Highlanders slip to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in conference matches.

In addition to the kills from Buseck and Allocco, senior Olivia Harrigan recorded 15 kills and junior Jennifer Hicks had 11 kills. Sophomore Cady Messmer also had eight kills while Wickens chipped in another kill. Sophomore Rachel Williamson had three of Nazareth's eight service aces, Thayer had two, and Wickens, Allocco, and sophomore Brianna Spears each had one.

Defensively, the Golden Flyers frustrated Houghton as they amassed 83 digs. Following Thayer's 31 digs, Wickens (12 digs), senior Katherine Race (11 digs), and Harrigan (10 digs) all finished in double figures in the category. Allocco had two solo blocks and an assisted block to lead Nazareth at the net. Buseck tallied a solo block and two assisted blocks while Hicks had one solo and one assisted block.

In the opening set, the Golden Flyers pounded 21 kills, but their 12 hitting errors prevented them from taking the set. Houghton finished the set with 11 kills but had only two hitting errors. Nazareth took control of the second set by dropping their hitting errors to only three while connecting on 15 kills. The Golden Flyers' defense allowed the Highlanders only two kills and forced six errors on 25 attempts. In the third set, Nazareth connected on 18 kills. The Highlanders responded in the fourth set by amassing 13 kills and only three errors while the Golden Flyers had nine hitting errors. The Golden Flyers rebounded in the fifth set with 13 kills on 24 attempts.

Nazareth is in action again October 1st when the Golden Flyers travel to St. John Fisher for another Empire 8 match.