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Women's Volleyball July 23, 2018

Top 10 Clarkson Highlights - #3 Knights Win Sixth Straight League Title, Host NCAA Regional for Fifth Time

Saratoga Springs, Potsdam, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca. No matter what the hosting venue may be, the Clarkson University Volleyball team can't help but come away with a conference championship.

Though the run of regular-season Liberty League Championships halted at three after the 2015 season, the Golden Knights have turned it on when the league title is on the line, besting Vassar in five sets in 2016 after dropping two regular-season matches to the Brewers, and topping Ithaca, although the Bombers won in October 2017 in four sets on Clarkson's home court. The victory over Ithaca in this year's Liberty League Championship match vaulted the Golden Knights to the top position in the regional rankings and put the Green and Gold in position to host one of the eight NCAA Regionals for the fifth time in seven years.



Clarkson's middle-hitting tandem of Rachael Aird and Rachel Reusch proved to be virtually unstoppable against the Bombers, combining for 12 total blocks and with Aird striking 15 kills at a .556 clip and Reusch delivering 15 kills at a .387 rate. The duo was all over the net in the fifth and deciding set, participating in 11 of the team's 15 points with seven kills and four block assists.

The performance from Aird was nothing new, as the two-time AVCA All-American and three-time Liberty League All-Star made a habit of stepping up in big moments during her career. It marked the second straight year that Aird was picked as the Liberty League Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and she finished her career as the most dominant middle hitter in program history with 1282 kills. Reusch, a two-time AVCA New York All-Region selection, may challenge Aird's standard down the road, as she completed a second outstanding season since joining the Knights in 2016.

Though the two middles provided the key points when needed, Clarkson's back row defense was the key to its success in 2017. The Golden Knights ranked 13th in NCAA Division III in digs per set (19.38 dps) with sophomore Kate Isaksen leading the country in digs per set, averaging 6.85 per game with a total of 753, marking the second year in a row that she finished as runner-up in that category. For her consistent effort, Isaksen was chosen as an AVCA Third-Team All-American, making her only the fifth player in program history to be named to one of the top three squads. She joined Sara Artus (2011, Third-Team), Xiao Liang (2013, Second-Team), Kirstie Shurie (2014 and 2015, Second-Team) and Aishvina Arasu (2015, Second-Team).

Like Aird and Reusch, Isaksen's best performances of the year came in the biggest matches. She set a career-high with an incredible 48 digs in a five-set match against Babson during the NCAA Regional Round of 32 and posted 30 digs or more on six other occasions against regionally-ranked or nationally-ranked opponents.

The loss of Aird due to graduation will hurt the Knights in 2018, but with Reusch, Isaksen and an impressive supporting cast returning for the Golden Knights, Clarkson will once again be a formidable foe come the Liberty League Tournament. And with the track record now extended to six straight titles, who would want to bet against the Knights?

TOP 10 2017-18 Clarkson Athletic Department Highlights

The Top 10 Clarkson University Athletic Department Highlights of 2017-18 were carefully selected by the Clarkson Sports Information Staff. Top 10 Clarkson highlights will be posted on Mondays throughout the summer.




 
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Players Mentioned

Aishvina Arasu

#5 Aishvina Arasu

OH
5' 10"
Senior
Kirstie Shurie

#17 Kirstie Shurie

S/L
5' 5"
Senior
Rachael Aird

#10 Rachael Aird

OH/MH/RS
6' 0"
Junior
Kate Isaksen

#17 Kate Isaksen

L
5' 9"
Sophomore
Rachel Reusch

#12 Rachel Reusch

MH
6' 2"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Aishvina Arasu

#5 Aishvina Arasu

5' 10"
Senior
OH
Kirstie Shurie

#17 Kirstie Shurie

5' 5"
Senior
S/L
Rachael Aird

#10 Rachael Aird

6' 0"
Junior
OH/MH/RS
Kate Isaksen

#17 Kate Isaksen

5' 9"
Sophomore
L
Rachel Reusch

#12 Rachel Reusch

6' 2"
Sophomore
MH