The SUNY Brockport volleyball team continued their dominance in the SUNYAC conference, beating Potsdam 3-0 in a shutout at home.
The first set started off close with both teams fighting for a lead, however some critical kills from Jordan Thompson and assists from both Kaitlyn Jewett and Arrica Silliman sealed the first set 25-20 for the Golden Eagles.
Leah Vitiello came out swinging in the second set, securing the decisive point for her team. Vitello led the team in kills with 14 against Potsdam. The Golden Eagles continued their dominance by winning the second set 25-17.
First-year setters Kaitlyn Jewett and Arrica Silliman filled in strong for injured senior Ashley Allen. Their contributions to the team in a nail-biting final set helped the Golden Eagles come back from a deficit. But the Green and Gold won 25-22 in the final set of the match.
Head Coach Jim Clar was proud of the freshmen setters.
“Oh, they are doing fantastic. They are both great kids, I am not surprised at all,” Clar said.
Thompson agreed with Clar that Jewett and Silliman were a key piece in their win.
“We have our two setters stepping up because our senior one is out and they are running our offense just like what we need,” Thompson said.
Arrica Silliman had a career best 14 assists versus Potsdam. Kaitlyn Jewett led the Golden Eagles with 25 assists on the day. Both stats highlight the chemistry they have with the rest of their team.
“The chemistry is strong,” Thompson said. “It’s only getting stronger. I can’t wait to see it continue to grow and we see the connections get better and better and our playing is getting better too.”
With two back-to-back dominant wins at home, the Golden Eagles look ahead to transfer this home hot streak into more SUNYAC conference wins against New Paltz and Oneonta. They are currently 2-0 in the SUNYAC conference and 6-8 overall but, they are feeling strong rolling into next week.
“We are very confident,” Clar said. “It’s good to get these wins and get some confidence to have us going in the right direction.”
Thompson is excited for the future.
“I am super confident,” Thompson said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do. We’re still growing and it is still early, especially in conference play. So we will have to see what we do.”
The Golden Eagles volleyball team heads on the road next week to both New Paltz and Oneonta, looking for more SUNYAC wins under their belts.
