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HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Despite committing nearly a full set worth of service errors, third-seeded Nazareth prevailed over sixth-seeded Vassar in a three-set United Volleyball Conference tournament match Friday at Stevens Institute of Technology's Canavan Arena. The Golden Flyers improved to 27-5 overall as they won by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 27-25.

Nazareth plays again Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against second-seeded New Paltz in the tournament semifinals. Top-seeded and host Stevens hosts New York University at 2 p.m. in the other semfinal match. The Violets advanced Friday with a three-set sweep of Elmira in another quarterfinal match. Sunday's championship match starts at 2 o'clock with the winner gaining an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Vassar finished its season 18-13 overall.

Senior Luke Lawatsch and junior Grant Levermore each had 10 kills. Junior libero Cory Randolph had 10 digs and freshman setter Jake Kemp totaled 30 assists. Nazareth overcame 22 service errors -- nine in the opening set, eight more in the second and five in the third -- to hold off the Brewers, who had 17 service errors of their own.

Nazareth started slowly in the opening set, falling behind 9-3 following two service errors and four straight hitting errors. Nazareth rallied and used a 14-5 scoring run to take the lead for good at 17-14. The score was 22-20 before Nazareth closed out the set on a pair of kills by junior outside Tim Zyburt and a kill by Lawatsch.

The second set was close throughout with the teams tied at 20-20 before Nazareth took the lead for good on a kill by Levermore and an ace by Lawatsch. A pair of Vassar hitting errors enabled the Golden Flyers to get to 24 points, then junior Chris Mahan clinched the set with a kill off an assist from Kemp.

Nazareth led by as many as six points in the third set, 16-10, following a Brewers attacking error. Vassar rallied and finally tied the set at 23-23 following a kill by Matthew Knigge. The teams exhanged points with Nazareth assisted by two Vassar service errors. The Golden Flyers finally closed out the match on consecutive kills by senior Brody Cord and Levermore.

Lawatsch had three service errors and two blocks to complement a sterling .714 hitting percentage (10-0-14). Zyburt finished with eight kills and seven digs and Cord added seven kills and a pair of service aces. Nazareth hit .271 (41-15-96) as a team, while Vassar checked in an .207 (29-12-82).

The victory was the third of the season over Vassar by the Golden Flyers, who earned another shot at New Paltz, a five-set winner over the Golden Flyers on March 7.