The Siena Volleyball team got back into the win column against Lafayette and earned a split on their Saturday doubleheader to wrap up the Altoona Grand Red Flash Classic at DeGol Arena.
 
The Saints topped the Leopards 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17) with arguably its best passing performance of the early season thus far with a season-high 54 assists as a team in the early match. 

Siena hit .275 for the match as Doga Diraz (17 kills), Gabrielle Wire (15 kills), and Elizabeth Phillips all produced double digits in kills production.

A day after being outscored in team aces 14-3, Siena responded by holding a 9-6 advantage in the category with Diraz (four aces), Natalia Clifford (three aces), and Ella Treasure and Autumn Willmott (one ace apiece) all contributing to a sounder service from behind the line.

Sophomore setter Alara Doganyuz set a new career high with 32 assists and tied a season-best mark with 15 digs as well. 

Siena rallied back in the first set after trailing 17-16 with a key 5-0 run sparked by two aces off the hand of Diraz, a kill from Phillips and another from Diraz as well as Lafayette service error. 

Wire finished out the set by scoring the last three points for Siena to secure the set. 

In the second set, the Leopards broke a 20-20 tie with a 3-0 spurt behind kills from Hannah Ehrich-Pollock and Ally Feczko. Siena got within one after a Phillips kill and a Lafayette attacking error, but Ehrich-Pollock picked up a kill and Wire committed an attack error to give Lafayette (1-4) the set. 

After falling behind 3-1, Siena rallied back with a 6-0 run with Clifford serving behind the line.

A kill by Berra Tok and a pair from Diraz highlighted the run as well as an ace from Clifford.  Siena had another 6-0 late run with Treasure serving and Mary Claire Deacy providing three consecutive kills and Diraz closed it with a kill of her own.

In the fourth set, Siena led 11-10 and then scored five of six points with two kills from Diraz, another from Treasure, an ace from Diraz and a kill from Phillips to provide a five-point cushion. The Saints secured the match with a kill from Treasure off an assist from Doganyuz and an ace from Diraz. 

In the nightcap, Siena dropped a tough five-setter to Youngstown State 3-2 (19-25, 26-24, 25-20, 10-25, 9-15).

Siena raced out by earning the opening four points with an ace from Doganyuz and a kill from Diraz.

YSU (4-2) came back with a 4-0 run and later a 5-0 run to capture a 22-16 edge with kills from Layne Graffice, Niyah Lester and Abbie Householder. 

The teams traded points thereafter as the Penquins grabbed the opening set.

In set two, YSU took a 7-3 advantage, but Siena answered back by taking five of six points with back-to-back kills from Wire to even it at eight-all. 

The Saints went ahead 24-19 before a 5-0 run by YSU evened it up. A kill from Deacy and an ace from Phillips finished it out.

After trailing 17-15 in the third set, Siena came right back with a 4-0 spurt with Clifford serving and Wire, Diraz, and Tok all delivering with a kill apiece. 

Clifford's ace made it 19-17 Siena.  Two more kills from Diraz and one from Deacy closed it out for the Saints.

YSU took a commanding early in the fourth set, grabbing the first four points with Householder serving behind the line. 

YSU took seven of eight points highlighted by back-to-back kills from Householder and then wrapped up the final five points with Graffice serving and a kill by Bianca Giglio closing out the set.

In the fifth and deciding set, the Penquins took the opening four points again backed by a kill from Gabriela Machin.  Siena got within three points of the lead at 12-9 after a kill from Diraz and a YSU attacking error, but YSU took the final three points to earn the win. 

Diraz finished with a career-high 21 kills to go along with five digs and two aces to lead the Saints.

The junior right side was named to the Altoona Grand Red Flash Classic All-Tournament team.

Wire closed with 13 kills, five digs and two blocks.  Doganyuz had back-to-back 30-assist performances with 13 digs. 

Next up, Siena will host the Clocktower Tournament beginning on Friday, Sept 12 at 11 a.m. hosting Belmont at the UHY Center.

The tournament will also feature Stonehill and Columbia with six matches over two days.