UTICA, N.Y. – Russell Sage College opened the final weekend of the Empire 8 Conference regular season with tonight's 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-17) loss at Utica.
Senior outside hitter Sydney Shepard (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) paced the Gators with nine kills. Middle hitter Celia Gagnon (Troy, NY/Ichabod Crane), a graduate student, who was named the E8 Player of the Week on Monday, added seven kills, while senior defensive specialist Elaina Moisidis (Albany, NY/Albany), the E8 leader in digs and digs per-set, topped all participants with 22 digs. Junior setter Statia Walker (Schodack, NY/Maple Hill), who dished out the 1,000th assist of her career earlier this fall, recorded 19 assists and eight digs.
Senior outside hitter Eleanor Cepiel registered a double-double of 11 kills and 14 digs to lead the Pioneers (14-10/4-4 E8). Junior setter Madison Maggioro tallied 24 assists, while sophomore Krystell Pappas elevated 17 RSC attacks.
Looking ahead, the Gators (4-20/1-7 E8) play their final E8 match of the fall tomorrow afternoon at Keuka. The Saturday matinee is set to begin at 2:00 PM.
Notes: Gagnon was named the E8 Co-Player of the Week on Monday...She totaled 30 kills, 4.29 per-set, on .400 hitting, and five aces across a pair of E8 contests last weekend...The program has seen many career milestones achieved this fall...Head coach Sandy Augstein-Collins, now in her 13th season coaching at RSC and 26th overall, picked up her 375th career victory on September 14 vs. SUNY Cobleskill…Moisidis, who topped the Empire 8 Conference with 492 digs, 4.82 per-set, last fall, became the 15th RSC player to surpass 1,000 career digs on September 10 at the SUNY New Paltz Tournament…She began the weekend sixth in program records with 1,290 career digs…Walker dished out the 1,000th assist of her career on September 30 at St. John Fisher…She entered the contest sixth in school annals with 1,163 career assists…The setter has tallied ten double-doubles this season…Gagnon surpassed 500 career kills on October 14 vs. Elmira…She now has 530 career kills.
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