The New York University women's volleyball team split a pair of matches for the second-straight day at the York-Spartan Invitational, which was host by York College of Pennsylvania in York, PA, on Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9.

After defeating Gallaudet University and falling to Elizabethtown College on Friday evening, the Violets (4-3) returned to the court on Saturday morning to take on a pair of Centennial Conference teams, Haverford College and 16th-ranked Johns Hopkins University. NYU first defeated the Fords in four sets (25-17, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20), before falling to the Blue Jays in straight sets (25-14, 25-17, 25-14).

Gretchen Kincade helped lead the Violets to victory against the Fords, totaling 14 kills on 24 attempts with just three errors (.458). The freshman was one of three NYU players to record at least seven kills in the win, joining classmate Abby Ausmus (eight) and junior Caroline Rapp (seven). Stella Alverson led the squad with 20 assists, while Nazzerine Waldon and Jackie Kupeli each tallied 13 digs.

"Gretchen had a strong match against Haverford," said Head Coach Andrew Brown. "Our freshmen are coming along well and a lot of that has to do with the returners instilling confidence in them and allowing us to compete at a high level early in the season."

The Violets couldn't carry the momentum into their second match of the day against the ranked Blue Jays, losing each set by at least eight points. Waldon led the way for NYU with five kills and Kupeli contributed nine digs, but it wasn't enough as Johns Hopkins remained undefeated through four matches this season. 

"We gained valuable experience today, playing back-to-back matches against very strong opponents," added Brown. "This will go a long way as we continue to build and prepare for a strong UAA (University Athletic Association) season."

The Violets will be back to the courts on Tuesday, September 11, at 7:00 pm when they take on the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY.

"One area we've improved upon a ton is our blocking game," concluded Brown. "I'm excited to watch it get even stronger on Tuesday and as the season goes on."