Albany, N.Y. -- The Adelphi University volleyball team picked up a win in its Northeast-10 Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at a tri-match on the campus of the College of Saint Rose, defeating the host Golden Knights, 3-1, before falling 3-2 in a non-conference tilt with Daemen College.

Adelphi (4-7, 1-0 NE10) had a trio of players record double-figure kills in each match, led by McKenna Clawson and Leilani Vazquez, who hit the mark in both matches. Katie Barry ran the offense to the tune of 68 assists over the nine sets, splitting duties with Courtney Crook in the match against Daemen. On defense, Katarina Warburton anchored the back row with 29 combined digs, while Madison Canestrari and Cara McKenzie each recorded nine total blocks in the front row.

Adelphi vs. Saint Rose
From 11-8 down in the opening set, the Panthers ripped off 10 of the next 11 points to take command of an opening set which they'd win, 25-16. Though the Brown and Gold led for the duration of the second set by as much as five points, the Golden Knights turned it on late and saved a pair of set points en route to knotting the match at 1-1 after a 28-26 set.

It was the Brown and Gold's turn to post an escape in the third set, coming back from 11-3 down in the early stages and eventually knotting the action at 15-15 thanks to seven straight points. Though the home team kept its nose in front at the tail-end of the set, a pair of kills from Vazquez to end the frame stole Adelphi a 25-23 decision and a 2-1 match lead.

A 7-1 run in which Vazquez tallied three kills saw Adelphi take a 13-5 lead in the fourth, but a 6-0 mid-set spurt from the Golden Knights saw them close a 19-10 deficit to just three points at 19-16. From there, though, Adelphi finished strong largely behind the serve of Sophie Powless, winning the last five points on three kills, a block from Barry and Canestrari and a Powless ace.

Clawson and Vazquez paced the Panthers with 12 kills in the match, while Victoria Cast recorded 10. Warburton net 16 digs in the set, while Vazquez and Rebecca Seeba each dug up 10 balls, while Barry paced the attack with 42 set assists.

Adelphi vs. Daemen
After Daemen sprinted out of the gate to win six of the first seven points of game two, Adelphi slowly but surely chipped away and took its first lead with a four-point string to 14-13. The Brown and Gold firmly wrestled control of the opening set with a run of seven of eight points after trailing 16-14, which forced the Wildcats to use both of their first set timeouts. Though Daemen stayed in touch, Barry helped push the Panthers over the line to a one-set lead in the late stages, as a solo block and kill from her hand helped bring up set point, which was won on her serve behind a Daemen attack error.

The Wildcats battled back from an early deficit in set two and used an early lead to steer their way to a two sets to one lead overall, but behind a .458 hitting percentage (14K, 3E, 24TA), the Panthers forced a fifth and final set after trailing early in the fourth. A Clawson kill gave Adelphi the lead for good at 10-9, while two kills from Cast down the stretch helped Adelphi reach its second fifth set of the season.

In the deciding set to 15, it was Daemen that got off to a hot start, as three aces in the first six points on serve helped the Wildcats build a 7-2 edge, a lead they would not relinquish en route to winning the decider, 15-7. 

McKenzie led the way for Adelphi with 12 kills in the setback, with Vazquez totaling 11 and Clawson adding 10. At setter, Barry dished off 26 assists while Crook added 14, and 10 digs from Clawson put her second behind Warburton's 13, and gave her a double-double.

The Panthers are back in action on Friday, Sept. 22 as they host Le Moyne College in their home opener at 3:30 p.m. in NE10 action.

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About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past eight seasons, has collected 23 regular season conference titles, 25 tournament championships, 33 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.

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