ITHACA, N.Y.—The second-seeded William Smith College volleyball team defeated third-seeded Clarkson University 3-0 this evening in Ben Light Gymnasium to advance to Saturday's Liberty League Championship match against #22 Ithaca College.

The Herons move to 15-9 on the season and advance to the championship match for the first time in program history while the Golden Knights conclude its season at 14-12.

William Smith combined for 46 kills as a team compared to Clarkson's 33. The Herons hit .270 through three sets while keeping the Golden Knights to a .139 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Malya Sayre led the way for William Smith with 15 kills, hitting .303 with only five errors. She added seven digs, one service ace and one solo block in the win. Sophomores Marin Montagne (.103) and Hope Von Dohlen (.292) added nine kills each to lead the Herons past the Golden Knights.
  
MATCH MOMENTS:

• Clarkson jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start the match before a Golden Knight error and a Sayre service ace cut the deficit to three. The opening set saw seven tie scores and extra points as William Smith finished on top 27-25. Sayre led the Herons with six kills, hitting .333 in the opening set.
• William Smith continued on its momentum into the second set, putting down 18 kills as a team compared to Clarkson's nine. Sayre led with five kills while junior setter Elaina Wamhoff and Montagne chipped in four each. The Herons took set two, 25-20 to push the lead to 2-0.
• The Herons continued their dominant performance in the third set going on an early run to grab the momentum. Von Dohlen was on fire in the third, recording five kills on nine swings, hitting .444. She added one solo block as William Smith ran away with the set to close out the third on top, 25-21.

MATCH STATS:

• Sayre led the Herons with 15 kills (.303), followed by Montagne (.103) and Von Dohlen (.292) with nine each.
• Junior setter Elaina Wamhoff recorded 35 assists, 12 digs, six kills (1.000), and one service ace in the sweep.
• First-year Maysie Malinaric led a scrappy Heron defense and recorded a team-leading 17 digs. Wamhoff added 12 while Montagne chipped in 10.
• William Smith continued to show strong from the service line, racking up eight aces as a team. Malinaric and sophomore Kenyce Johnson led the team with two apiece. Wamhoff, Sayre, and sophomores Jaylynn McCarthy and Cydney Fernandez finished with one each.

COACHES CORNER:

"I am so proud of this team!" Head Coach Derryk Williams said. "We played with great composure, heart, and a ton of joy tonight! To make it to the Liberty League championship game as a second-year program is remarkable. This group has put in the work all year and it is paying off! We are excited to take on Ithaca tomorrow for the title."

UP NEXT:
 
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow when it takes on top-seeded Ithaca College in the conference title match. First serve between the Herons and the Bombers is set for 5 p.m. in Ben Light Gymnasium. The winner will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships.