BUFFALO, N.Y. — The D'Youville University women's volleyball team swept Roberts Wesleyan University in straight sets, 28-26, 25-17, 25-12, on Wednesday evening at the Saints Center Gym, clinching their spot in the East Coast Conference Championship Tournament for the second consecutive year.. D'Youville recorded 43 kills with a .308 hitting percentage, including a standout second set with a .414 hitting percentage.

The first set began with Roberts Wesleyan securing an early advantage, but D'Youville managed to stay in contention through strategic plays. Cameron Ulinski delivered crucial points, including a kill at 13-11, while Giselle Ramirez and Madeline O'Brien contributed significantly to the team's offense with timely kills. As the set progressed, D'Youville faced a tense back-and-forth exchange, reaching a 24-24 tie, driven by O'Brien's consistent performance. In a dramatic finish, the Saints clinched the set with a decisive service ace by Alina Bertens-Deckart and a final block by Gabrielle Dials and Maddie Boglev, ending the set 28-26 in favor of D'Youville.

D'Youville gained momentum early in the second set, overcoming a brief deficit with a series of kills by Dials and O'Brien, assisted by Bertens-Deckart. This rally established a 7-4 lead after a 4-0 run, characterized by effective offensive plays and a key block. Despite the Redhawks closing the gap to 7-7, the Saints surged again, with Bertens-Deckart contributing both offensively and defensively, aiding in extending the lead to 16-12. D'Youville maintained control, capitalizing on errors from the Redhawks and sealing the set with a 25-17 victory.

In the third set, D'Youville gained momentum with a decisive run early on, initiated by Ulinski's kill, assisted by Bertens-Deckart. Anna Chechelnytska followed with a service ace, contributing to a 4-0 lead. Bertens-Deckart further extended the advantage with three consecutive service aces, bringing the score to 12-5. O'Brien and Dials added to the lead with critical kills, aided by assists from Bertens-Deckart, pushing the home team's score to 17-8. The set concluded with Ailanice Rodriquez benefiting from multiple attack errors by Rachel Dixon, sealing the set for the Saints at 25-12. This concluded the match, giving D'Youville a significant victory.

O'Brien recorded 11 kills and contributed eight digs over three sets, finishing with a total of 11.5 points. Ulinski led the team with 13 kills, achieving a hitting percentage of .458, while also adding two assists and one block assist. Boglev was strong at the net, amassing six block assists to highlight her defensive play. Bertens-Deckart facilitated the offense with 31 assists and added four service aces, rounding out her performance with eight points.