By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net

CORTLAND, N.Y. – The No. 20 Juniata College women's volleyball team cruised to two season opening wins over University of Rochester, 3-0 (25-11,25-9.25-15), and SUNY-Fredonia, 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-8). Junior outside hitter Amy Miller (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) led the Eagles with eight kills in the first match against the Yellow Jackets and nine in the second against the Blue Devils.

In the first match of the evening, the Eagles outscored Rochester by a total score of 75-35.  Fourteen different players entered the match with eleven contributing to the Juniata offense. Miller emerged as the offensive leader for the Eagles on the day with junior middle hitter Christine Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) close behind her with seven kills.

Junior libero Brittani Young  (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield Area) anchored the defense with an impressive 17 digs for the match and also notched a kill. Miller and senior Rachelle Wiegand (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) added to the team total defense with eight and six digs respectively.

In a further assertion of its national ranking, Juniata rolled through the second match of the night, against SUNY-Fredonia, outscoring the Blue Deviles by a total score of 75-35. Freshman opposite side hitter Suzanne Gloekler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) made a statement with her service game notching nine aces for the match. Miller's nine kills marked the team high with classmate Courtney Lydick (McKean, Pa./General McLane) hammering down eight points.

In its first match up tomorrow, Juniata will face Nazareth College. The Eagles are 4-0 all time against the Flying Eagles and will look to keep that streak in tact tomorrow. Nazareth won both of its games on Friday first defeating Lebanon Valley, 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-13), before knocking off Pitt-Bradford, 3-1 (25-12, 25-21, 22-25, 25-22).

The evening event looks to be a tough matchup, as Juniata will face No. 23 Clarkson University. This will be the first meeting between these two very strong programs. The Golden Knights won their first match of the day defeating Richard Stockton, 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23). The evening bout between Clarkson and No. 11 Mount Union was a fierce fight with the raiders getting the better of the match by a final score of 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 17-15).

The Eagles match against Nazareth is schedule for 1:30 Saturday Aug. 31 with the final match of the weekend against Clarkson set to start at 4:00 pm.

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