The New York University women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday, September 10, on day two of the Hawks Invitational, hosted by SUNY New Paltz in New Paltz, NY.
 
The Violets NYU lost 3-1 to Clarkson University before bouncing back to beat host SUNY New Paltz 3-1 in the second match.
 
This brought day two of the invitational to a close, as the Violets finished the weekend with a 5-3 record to start the season.
 
The Violets dropped their first match of the day against Clarkson (3-2). The squad fought back after dropping the first set 25-15 to tie things up with a 25-21 win in the second. The Golden Knights won the third set 25-21, but the Violets pushed the game to extras in the fourth set before eventually falling short 30-28.
 
Statistically, NYU matched up well against Clarkson, finishing with 54 kills on 202 attempts compared to Clarkson's 55 kills on 183 attempts.
 
In the second match against New Paltz (3-4), the Violets played a tightly contested first two sets, winning 27-25 and 25-21 before dropping the third 25-16. In the fourth set, the team produced a dominant display to win 25-13 and close out the match.
 
"I'm very pleased with how the team started and finished the match," said NYU Head Coach Jolie Ward. "We haven't been able to overcome the bigger teams until now, so the win against New Paltz is a confidence boost for us."
 
Highlights vs. Clarkson
 
- Gretchen Cash recorded a team high 13 kills, while Shelby King finished with nine. 

- Rayne Ellis combined her eight kills with one block, finishing with a .300 attack percentage. 

"Rayne had a very solid weekend," said Ward. "She did a very good job defensively and did exactly what the team needed from her on several occasions." 

Highlights vs. New Paltz
 
- Caroline Rapp finished with a game-high 15 kills, while Ellis recorded 12. 

- Katie Goyette recorded a match-high 35 assists and 12 digs. 

- Grace Napolitano led all players with 23 digs. 

- The Violets recorded three service aces, split amongst Annie Singh (two) and Stephanie Mao (one). 

The Violets return to action on Tuesday, September 13, when they face Brooklyn College at 7:00 pm in Brooklyn, NY.