University of Rochester Athletics

The University of Rochester volleyball team split a pair of 4-set decisions on Saturday afternoon, defeating Lewis & Clark College before falling to Clarkson University on day two of the annual UR Volleyball Invitational.
 
Senior Myla Nover-Estes was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts over the 6-team tournament that featured 12 total matches over the two days. Nover-Estes led all players in the tournament with a whopping 73 kills over the four matches.
 
Rochester's 2-2 record this weekend put the Yellowjackets third in the event standings, with the team now sitting at 5-3 overall on the season. Smith College remained unbeaten in 2026, going 4-0 overall to claim the tournament team title.
 
In the opener against Lewis & Clark, the Yellowjackets battled the River Otters (2-4) tough in the opening set, edging out a 25-21 win. In the second, Lewis & Clark used some poor Rochester hitting to earn a 25-15 win and level the match.
 
In the third, both teams had runs, with the score eventually sitting at 19-all after two River Otter errors and a Lydia Weeks service ace. The next ten points alternated side outs for each team, moving the tally to 24-24 on the scoreboard.
 
A kill from UR's Emilyn Dienger gave the home team a set point, but a bad set allowed L&C to tie up the score. Back-to-back kills from Paige Stephenson and Ellen Porter ended it though in favor of the Yellowjackets, putting UR up 2-1 overall.
 
The fourth set saw URochester earn a pair of four-point runs in the early going to take an 8-5 lead. The advantage reached five at 11-6, before the River Otters battled back to get within one, down 12-11.
 
Rochester regained its five-point lead at 20-15 following a block from Stephenson and Porter and handled business the rest of the way, with Lilly Kraemer securing the match-winning kill.
 
Overall, Nover-Estes led the Yellowjackets with 18 kills on 43 swings, hitting .256 for the match. She added six digs and two aces. Kraemer finished with a .529 hitting percentage, ending with 11 kills and 2 errors on 17 attempts.
 
Stephenson had seven kills and three blocks while Porter chipped in five kills and three blocks. Iliana Balaskas and Juliette Azzariti shared setting duties, with the pair finishing with 38 combined assists. Weeks had 17 digs to lead the 'Jacket back line.
 
Against Clarkson, the Golden Knights (6-2) nipped the 'Jackets in the opening set 25-23 and used a 15-kill set two to jump ahead 2-0 in the overall match. Rochester's best set was the third, with the Yellowjackets hitting .333 to post a 25-16 win, before Clarkson finished off the match victory with a 25-20 triumph in the fourth.
 
Nover-Estes had 22 kills in the final match of the weekend, finishing with a double-double, adding 13 digs. Dienger added 14 kills while Porter had nine.
 
Weeks had 16 digs and a team-high three aces in the game two loss, while Balaskas dished out a team-high 22 assists.
 
URochester's next match is a mid-week tilt at Nazareth University on Tuesday evening, starting at 6 p.m.