ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Keystone College women's volleyball team earned its first victory of the season Tuesday evening, defeating Elmira College in a thrilling five-set match, 3-2.
The win marks Heather Benson's first win as the head coach of the Giants.
Keystone claimed the match by scores of 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 27-29,15-8.
The Giants struck first in the opening set, but with the score tied late and Keystone holding a 19-18 advantage, Elmira closed on an 8-3 run to take the set.
The second set proved to be a turning point. Trailing 24-23 and facing set point, Keystone rallied behind back-to-back kills from Indya Rogers (Leeds, Ala./Leeds) and a service ace from Nataly Bermudez (Las Vegas, NV/Valley) to steal the frame, 26-24.
In the third set, the teams were deadlocked at 23-23 before Rogers and Hailey Mowry (Vail, Ariz./Cienega) delivered consecutive kills to give the Giants a 2-1 match lead.
Keystone appeared poised to close out the match in the fourth, jumping out to a commanding 20-10 advantage. The Giants still led 23-18 before Elmira mounted a dramatic comeback, scoring six unanswered points to reach set point. The teams traded points late, but the Soaring Eagles ultimately secured the set, 29-27, to force a decisive fifth.
Elmira took the opening point of the final set, but Keystone responded with six straight points to seize control. Holding an 8-6 lead, the Giants put the match away with another six-point run to reach match point. After Elmira scored twice on a bad set and a solo block, Isabella Buonopane (Wake Forest, N.C./Archbishop Williams) delivered the match-clinching kill to seal Keystone's first win of the 2025 campaign.
Buonopone and Madison Woods (Camrose, AB/Ecole Camrose Composite) led the offense with 13 kills each, while Rogers added 11. Naema Alatorre (Brownsville, Tex./Idea Frontier) dished out 22 assists and Mowry contributed 21. Nat Reyes (Lamont, Calif./Arvin) and Serenity Marshall (Ridgefield, Wash./Ridgefield) each recorded four service aces.
Defensively, Bermudez anchored the back row with 32 digs, the fifth-most in program history for a five-set match, while Marshall added 12 digs. Jamilah Higgins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Martin) totaled four blocks at the net.
Elmira was paced by Lilyanah Doolittle with 12 kills and Morgan Sica with 10. Erin Bracken recorded a match-high 20 assists, and Gabriela Rodriguez finished with 20 digs.
Keystone (1-7) returns to action Saturday, Sept. 20, traveling to King's College (Pa.) for a tri-match. The Giants will face the Monarchs at noon before taking on Immaculata University at 2 p.m.
