Skidmore Launches Volleyball Season with Joseph B. Dearing Classic

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Skidmore College women’s volleyball team opened their 2025 season with a win and a pair of losses during the Joseph B. Dearing Classic on Aug. 30 and Sept. 2.

The first two games—played in Springfield, Massachusetts—resulted in a 3-1 loss to Springfield College and a 3-0 sweep against Keene State. Seniors Maya Stolarz and Jazlin Chen combined for 18 kills in the Keene State win as the Thoroughbreds hit .303 in the victory with 15 total blocks. At the end of the day, sophomore Marlowe McIntyre, who was making her collegiate debut, was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Springfield 3, Skidmore 1 (25–20, 23–25, 25–22, 25–18)

• Springfield opened with a 25–20 win in the first set behind five service aces.

• Skidmore answered in the second, rallying late to take a 25–23 win in a frame that featured 17 ties. Neither side scored more than points in a row.

• The Pride edged the third set 25–22 after scoring three in a row to get to 22 and pushing three more across despite Skidmore’s late push.

• Springfield closed the match with a 25–18 fourth set, aided by three more aces to finish with 12 on the day. The hosts scored eight out of the first 10 points in the fourth set.

• Stolarz led the Thoroughbreds with 10 kills and four blocks, one solo.

• Katy O’Connell added six kills and a team-high five block assists.

• Setter Catriona Hoelperl tallied 23 assists and 11 digs for her first double-double of the year.

• Libero Marlowe McIntyre posted a team-best 18 digs.

• Chloe Heitman chipped in seven kills, while Madison Manning had six and Angie Mozrall five.

• Skidmore hit .159 with 8.0 total blocks in the opener.

Skidmore 3, Keene State 0 (25–15, 25–20, 25–18)

• Skidmore surged to a 25–15 first-set win behind a combined seven early kills from Stolarz and Chen.

• The Thoroughbreds held off a mid-set Keene rally with a 10-2 run to take the second, 25–20, with O’Connell and Claire Sabo combining for four blocks.

• Skidmore sealed the sweep with a 25–18 third set after pulling away in the middle of the frame.

• Chen finished nearly perfect with nine kills on 13 swings (.692) without an error and three blocks.

• Stolarz also had nine kills with four total blocks.

• Natalie Pedersen chipped in six kills, while O’Connell and Sabo combined for eight blocks.

• Hoelperl steered the offense with 22 assists, and Emma Ferrigno added six helpers.

• McIntyre anchored the defense with 11 digs.

• Heitman contributed four kills to finish her collegiate debut with 11 on the afternoon.

• Skidmore hit .303 as a team while limiting Keene State to -.018 with a dominant 15.0 team blocks.

In their Sept. 2 contest, Skidmore pushed host Williams in each set but dropped a 3–0 decision (25–23, 25–20, 25–18) in the Ephs’ season opener Tuesday night at Chandler Athletic Center. First-year outside hitter Chloe Heitman led the Thoroughbreds with 10 kills, while senior middle Jazlin Chen added four kills and a match-best five blocks.

• Skidmore (1–2) opened strong, hitting .303 in the first set and erasing a 20–14 deficit behind Chen’s serving run of three aces in four points eventually propelling the Thoroughbreds to tie the score at 22. Williams (1–0) answered with a closing 3-1 stretch to claim the frame, then used a balanced attack to control the final two sets.

• Heitman tallied 10 kills on 30 swings (.200) to go with four digs and a block. She scored four of her points in the third set, including back-to-back kills that kept Skidmore within reach at 9–8.

• Chen finished with 11.5 points, including four solo blocks, and three aces.

• Setter Catriona Hoelperl dished out 19 assists, hit .500 with two kills, and chipped in seven digs. Classmate Emma Ferrigno added six assists and a kill.

• Maya Stolarz produced seven kills (.222), a block, and three digs, while Katy O’Connell supplied four kills and two solo blocks. Madison Manning collected four kills and 16 receptions with just one error, plus a service ace.

• Marlowe McIntyre anchored the defense with 13 digs, while Athena Braverman added six. Skidmore out-blocked Williams 8–5 but was out-aced 12–4.

• Williams’ Kate Lane and Chi Obi paced the Ephs with eight kills apiece. Lane added four aces, while setter Morgan Daetz handed out 24 assists. Libero Eve Kaplan totaled 13 digs.

The team will next host a busy weekend of home games during the Skidmore Classic on Sept. 5 and 6 at the Williamson Sports Center.