Women’s Volleyball Sweeps Rival Nazareth to Net Empire 8 Title

November 18, 2024

The St. John Fisher University women’s volleyball team swept crosstown rival Nazareth University in the Empire 8 title match on Saturday capturing the program’s fifth Empire 8 Championship. In doing so, the team secured the conference’s automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship.

The women's volleyball team holds up the Empire 8 Championship banner.

The No. 2-seeded Cardinals (21-8) improved to 4-0 in Empire 8 championship matches against top-seeded Nazareth (17-14).

Fisher will learn its first-round opponent and host site on Monday for the program’s fourth-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore middle blocker Ana Gutman was also named the Empire 8Tournament MVP. Gutman had 38 kills and eight blocks over three tournament contests, and hit well over .400 in each match. She also registered a .619 mark in a sweep of SUNY Geneseo during the tournament.

Match Notes

  • The Cardinals won the first set 25-23, the second set 25-16, and the third 25-20. It was their second sweep of Nazareth in an E8 championship match in the last four years.
  • Saturday’s contest marked the Cardinals’ first-ever Empire 8 championship match on the road. They had won all four of their other conference titles on their home floor.
  • The Cardinals avenged their 3-1 regular-season loss to Nazareth. The Golden Flyers were one of two Empire 8 teams to beat Fisher this season (Brockport being the other).
  • The Cardinals have won nine matches in a row since that loss.
  • Cardinals head coach Kelly Greapentrog has led the program to all five of its Empire 8 titles and all four of its NCAA Tournament appearances. Greapentrog has seven 20-plus win seasons since 2009.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Kaylene Noble led the Cardinals with 14 kills and hit .346 in the match.
  • Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Lydia Fraser amassed 12 kills and hit .360.
  • Gutman, a first-team All-Empire 8 pick, registered a team-high .450 hitting percentage and had 11 kills. She has hit .400 or better in 15 of Fisher's 29 matches this season, and also leads the Empire 8 in hitting percentage (.395). Finally, she had four blocks and leads the Cardinals with 57 on the season.
  • The Cardinals had 42 kills to Nazareth’s 27. They hit .299 as a team.
  • Junior setter Reilly Morrow had a match-high 28 assists.
  • Noble had eight digs, while Morrow and junior libero Kiera Hartpence had seven apiece.
  • Junior Isabella Mahar led Fisher with two service aces.