ITHACA, NY – The University of Rochester volleyball team was edged by St. John Fisher 3-0 on Friday evening in its season opener at the Ithaca Bomber Invitational, with all three sets being decided by the minimum two points.
 
The Cardinals (1-1), won the opening set 25-23 and completed the sweep with back-to-back 26-24 wins. Rochester falls to 0-1 on the young season and finishes the tournament tomorrow with matchups against host Ithaca College and John Carroll University.
 
UR's Myla Nover-Estes led all players in the match with 16 kills, hitting .263 on 38 total attacks. Lilly Kraemer chipped in seven kills for the 'Jackets while Isis Pribble added five.
 
Juliette Azzariti handed out 32 assists and was one of three Yellowjackets players with two aces, along with Nover-Estes and McKenzie McDonald. Lydia Weeks led the back line with 17 digs.
 
For St. John Fisher, Kaylene Noble was the top attacker with 14 kills. Lydia Fraser and Kalyna Dannenberg each had seven kills while Reilly Morrow contributed 22 assists.
 
In the opening set, St. John Fisher broke a 9-9 tie with a 5-1 spurt, jumping in front 14-10. Rochester battled back to take the lead a little later in the set, with a McDonald ace putting the 'Jackets up 17-16. The Cardinals answered right away though, scoring for of the next five points to see the score jump to 20-18.
 
Rochester trailed by two, 20-22, but got back-to-back kills from Nover-Estes and Pribble to knot the score up heading into the final points of the set. Two kills from Fraser gave the Cardinals three set points, and after a point by Nover-Estes, Noble finished off the 25-23 set for Fisher with a kill.
 
The second set saw Rochester surge in front early, leading 8-3 following two kills from Kraemer and an ace from Pribble. Fisher rattled off seven straight points though to jump in front 10-8. UR tied it with two straight points and the score remained within two points either way for the rest of the set.
 
Once again late in the set, the Cardinals went up 22-20, but Rochester tied it with back-to-back kills, this time from Nover-Estes and Kraemer. A service error put Fisher up by a point, but Rochester scored the next two to earn a set point, sitting up 24-23.
 
Unfortunately for Rochester, the Cardinals scored three straight points to steal the second set 26-24. Noble closed set number two out for the Cardinals with a kill.
 
The teams traded quick burst of points for the better part of the third set. St. John Fisher got a little breathing room, going up 21-18 after a 3-point surge later on. The lead eventually hit 24-19 following an ace, giving the Cardinals five cracks at match point.
 
Rochester fought valiantly with its back against the wall, scoring five straight points to stay alive in the third, pulling even at 24-all. Kraemer and Nover-Estes had kills in the run and McDonald added an ace to help the 'Jackets tie it.
 
St. John Fisher regained its composure though and was able to finish off the match with two straight kills, one each by Morrow and Noble.
 
On Saturday, UR plays host Ithaca at 1 pm before closing out its opening weekend against John Carroll right after at 3 pm.