Potsdam, NY - With 42 kills coming from a trio of hitters up front, the Clarkson University Volleyball team was able to brush away the cobwebs after the first set and defeat fourth-seeded Vassar College, 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-17), in the first of two Liberty League Semifinals Friday evening at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights improved to 28-7 overall on the season, just one victory short of tying the single-season school mark for wins in a season. Vassar fell to 17-13 overall on the year. Clarkson will take on the winner of third-seeded St. Lawrence and second-seeded Skidmore College.

Vassar came out strong with an impressive block in the early going, and Clarkson couldn't put anything together offensively in the first set as the Brewers took a 16-3 lead through the first 19 points. However, the Knights showed glimpses of their normal selves as Erika Chin (Katy, TX) and Megan Mahon (Irvine, CA) each made strong runs on the serve to help Clarkson climb back into contention. In the end, though, the significant lead was more than enough for Vassar to finish off the set, winning 25-18.

The momentum that Clarkson had at the end of the first set swung into the second set, as they earned an early lead that forced a timeout by Vassar coach Jonathan Penn early on, as the Brewers trailed 12-6. That Clarkson advantage was held for most of the remainder of the set, as they reversed the score of the first set, winning 25-18.

The final two sets were not in as much doubt, as Clarkson was able to pour on the offense in set number three, while claiming 17 of the final 26 points in the fourth set to close out the match.

"Come tournament time it's all about getting the job done," said Clarkson head coach Johan Dulfer. "We have so much respect for Vassar; they are the most versatile team in our conference. When we started the match, we might have shown a little too much respect, but I'm very proud of how we battled back and played our best towards the end of the match. We really fought our way into the match and that's the sign of a gritty competitor. We're happy to move on and look forward to having a chance to win a championship on our home court."

Senior Sara Artus (St. Regis Falls, NY) and freshman Becca Brabec (Lemont, IL) each had 16 kills for the Knights, with Brabec hitting .423 for the match. Freshman middle hitter Adrienne Walker (Centennial, CO) also struck for 10 kills for the Knights. Sophomore setter Lani Durio (Austin, TX) produced a double-double with 43 assists and 10 digs in the match, and was the leaders on the serve for Clarkson as well, as the Knights posted 14 aces in the match. Durio had four aces and Mahon had three aces. Kristen Orlandini (Fairport, NY), Brabec and Chin each had two aces for Clarkson.

Vassar's most impressive display came on the block, as the team had 13 blocks (2 solo blocks, 22 block assists). Marie Pitre had 10 kills and five blocks and Jessie Ditmore added seven kills and six blocks. Amy Bavosa also contributed five kills and five blocks.