Story written by J. Braggs, Fisher College Athletics Student Assistant

CASTLETON, VT. - Fisher College (13-9) faced a challenging doubleheader on the road, falling to both the University of Western Connecticut and Vermont State University - Castleton in four-set matches. Fisher falls to a 13-8 record after the pair of losses, while Castleton rises to 9-7 and WestConn to 12-6.

Game One: Fisher College 1, University of Western Connecticut 3 (Final)

In the first match, Fisher battled hard against WestConn but came up short, losing 1-3. The match scores were 22-25, 25-22, 19-25, and 9-25.

Senior Ali Tkach (Middleton, Mass.) was the standout for the Falcons with 11 kills and 14 digs, while junior Caroline Saucier (Sarasota, Fla.) contributed 8 kills and one solo block. Junior Alondra Farinacci (Ponce, Puerto Rico) posted 7 digs, 12 assists, and 10 digs in an all-around effort. Senior Paola Velazquez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) added 17 assists, helping to run the offense. On defense, senior Edsyl Irizarry (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) had 22 digs and 2 service aces.

For WestConn, graduate student Krysti McDonald (Fishkill, N.Y.) led the way with 16 kills and 2 service aces, while senior Helen Megson (Lebanon, Conn.) contributed 12 kills. Graduate student Olivia Monteleone (Cold Spring, N.Y.) also had a strong performance with 44 assists and 14 digs. Junior Sydney Slupatchuck (New Milford, Conn.) provided solid defense with 20 digs.

Game Two: Fisher College 1, Vermont State University - Castleton 3 (Final)

In the second match of the day, Fisher faced Vermont State University - Castleton and fell 1-3 again, with match scores of 25-20, 11-25, 18-25, and 27-29.

Tkach once again led the way with 10 kills and 8 digs. Velazquez contributed 6 kills, 9 assists, and 8 digs, while Farinacci posted 17 assists and 13 digs; both achieving well played well rounded games. Irizarry continued her strong defensive performance with 26 digs and 2 service aces.

For Castleton, senior Hailey Martinovich (Rochester, N.Y.) had 14 kills and 7 digs, while senior Vanessa Lebrun (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) added 8 kills, 3 service aces, and 10 digs. First-year Alondra Rojas (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) was a standout for Castleton with 12 kills, 14 digs, 25 assists, and 6 service aces.

Fisher will next travel to Lawrence, Kansas, for a tripleheader conference match against Haskell Indian Nations University , Florida National University, and Spartanburg Methodist University on October 11, starting at 11 a.m. WestConn will continue their road trip with a match at Plymouth State University on October 12 at 11 a.m., while Castleton will travel to Eastern Connecticut State University on the same day at 12 p.m