ALLIANCE, OH – The University of Rochester volleyball team picked up its first win of the 2024 campaign, edging Albion College 3-2, before falling 3-1 to Denison University, wrapping up play at the Mount Union Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
 
In the opener, Rochester (1-3) needed to rally over the final two sets to post the victory.
 
Four Yellowjackets smacked double-digit kills in the 5-set affair, led by Ashley Cook who had 16 kills while hitting .255 for the match. Cook added 13 digs for a double-double, while Rylee Bergeron also had a double-double, finishing with 10 kills and 27 digs.
 
Myla Nover-Estes had 15 kills, while Caroline Hoag led the team with a .276 hitting percentage, smacking 13 kills.
 
Lydia Weeks picked up a match-high 28 digs, with Katie Westerheim leading the team in assists (24) and aces (4).
 
Rochester opened the match with a 25-15 set win, only to see Albion (1-3) win two straight, 25-10 and 25-20 to pull ahead in the team score. In set four, Rochester blasted nearly a third of its total match kills, 19 in all to win 25-19 and level the score. Rochester hit .359 in the set.
 
The momentum continued into set five, with UR hitting .273, with eight kills to only two errors to post the convincing set win to complete the comeback. A service ace from Lilly Kraemer capped the victory in style.
 
During the second match of the day, Denison edged in front early with a 25-20 set one win. Despite the Big Red (1-2) hitting a match-high .324 in set two, the Yellowjackets took a back-and-forth win, posting a 25-23 set score.
 
Set three continued the close play, with Denison needing extra points to surge in front 2-1, winning by a 27-25 score. The fourth and final set saw the Big Red win 25-18 to seal the match win.
 
Nover-Estes and Bergeron paced UR's offensive attack with 11 kills each, with Cook adding eight. Cook led UR with 13 digs while Bergeron chipped in 12. At the net, Ruby Moore had three blocks and also added a pair of service aces, one of three 'Jackets (Cook and Bergeron) to post multiple aces.

For her efforts over the two-day event, UR's Cook was named to the 8-player All-Tournament Team.
 
Rochester returns to action next weekend at the Ithaca College Tournament, playing three matches next Friday and Saturday against Ithaca, St. John Fisher and Middlebury.