Colorado Springs, CO - Though the Clarkson University Volleyball team was two time zones away from Potsdam, NY, a pair of Golden Knights were right at home at the Colorado College Classic on Friday as the 17th-ranked Green and Gold split a pair of matches, beating Tufts University in three sets and falling to seventh-ranked Colorado College in a three-set defeat.

The Golden Knights moved to 4-2 on the seson and will take on East Texas Baptist University and Saint Mary's (MN) on Saturday before heading back home.

It was a bit of a homecoming for senior Adrienne Walker (Centennial, CO) and junior Victoria Kirkemo (Englewood, CO), and both players impressed in the opening match against the Jumbos (25-20, 25-20, 25-16). Kirkemo delivered a match-high 15 kills and also produced six aces and seven digs, while Walker continued her fine hitting performance in the young season with 10 kills against just three errors in 19 swings (.368 hitting percentage). Junior Kirstie Shurie (LaCanda, CA) chipped in 31 assists and Hannah Jones (Arrowhead, CA) and Evanne Jimenez (Ventura, CA) added 21 digs and 18 digs, respectively, from the back row. For Tufs, Hayley Hopper had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs and Isabel Kuehl had five total blocks while Frances Brumley contributed 22 assists. The Jumbos hist just .108 in the match.

In the last season and six matches, Clarkson has lost only one match to a team ranked outside the top 15 in the country, and that run continued as the host Tigers dispatched the Knights in three sets (25-18, 25-18, 25-20). Junior Danielle Farabee (Katy, TX) had the best offensive performance for Clarkson with eight kills and just a single error in 12 attempts and sophomore Sierra Rhoades (Poway, CA) scored seven kills. Junior Aishvina Arasu (Brea, CA) also had seven kills while Kirkemo had six kills and 14 digs. Jimenez and Jones also combined for 22 digs and Shurie produced 25 assists. Colorado hit .273 in the match, but Courtney Birkett, Kristen Liberty, and Keli Sherwood nearly doubled that damage by hitting .500 combined. Birkett had 12 kills and no errors in 25 swings, Liberty hit .500 on her own (8-1-14) and Sherwood had the best percentage of them all at .524 (12-1-21). Sophie Merrifield also delivered 26 digs and four aces.