ALBANY, NY – As a tune-up for the Northeast Conference slate when all match-ups are doubleheaders, the Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team played a pair at Albany. The Pioneers won game two 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) after dropping the opener 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 22-25, 13-15). 

Records:
Albany: 1-1
Sacred Heart: 1-2

Top Performers:
Sarah Ciszek (SHU): 10 kills, 29 assists, 25 digs (GM1), 29 assists, 10 digs (GM2)
Olivia Fairchild (SHU): 11 kills (GM1), 12 kills (GM2)

Up Next:
Sacred Heart goes on the road to face Seton Hall on February 27 at 4 pm.

Of Note:
The tough five-set loss in the previous match was water off a duck's back for the Pioneers in match two as they rolled past the Great Danes. Down 20-19 in set one, the hosts committed two errors then SHU got kills from Jasmine Rogers, Rianna McNamee and Olivia Fairchild to close out the first set.

Sacred Heart turned a 7-6 deficit into a 14-7 advantage thanks to three blocks. SHU looked like it was on its way to an easy win in the third set with a 19-14 margin, but Albany closed to 19-18. Two kills by Dominque Felix helped close out the win.

Fairchild led all players with 11 kills while setter Sarah Ciszek had a 29-assist, 10-dig double-double. Reghan Palanchi produced an impressive eight blocks.

SHU hit .273 while recording 42 digs that limited the Great Danes to an .088 rate. The Pioneers also had eight blocks.

Ciszek recorded a triple-double with 10 kills, 29 assists and 25 digs in game one. Fairchild topped the Pios with 12 kills and Rogers adding 10 more. Libero Emma Smallcomb had 24 digs and Felix recorded 21.

Albany had slight advantages in blocks (12-8), aces (8-2) and hitting percentage (.139-.129). 

Match two was tied 21-21 before Ciszek got two kills and Albany committed two errors to give SHU the set. The Pioneers trailed 12-11 in set three, but Palanchi teamed up with Felix and Fairchild for a pair of blocks and the Great Danes committed five errors to stake SHU to a 19-12 lead. 

Two Albany errors and a Ciszek kill put the Pioneers ahead 9-6 in the fifth set. The Great Danes went on a 5-0 run then a SHU miscues opened a 13-11 lead.