Sarah Lawrence continued its impressive opening to the 2026 women's volleyball season Thursday night, sweeping Pratt Institute 3-0 at the Campbell Sports Center in Bronxville. The Gryphons needed to battle through a competitive opening set, eventually edging the Cannoneers 25-23 after Pratt stayed within striking distance throughout the frame. Sarah Lawrence's offense was led by Nikolet Vataj and freshman Caroline Combs, who each recorded 12 kills. Combs also made an impact from the service line, recording five aces while adding 11 digs to complete a double-double. The Gryphons finished the match with 37 kills compared with 15 for Pratt.
After the narrow first-set victory, Sarah Lawrence took complete control of the match in the second. The Gryphons raced to a 25-9 win, hitting .348 as a team while holding Pratt to just two kills and a -.200 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Sophia Costa kept the offense running efficiently, finishing with 31 assists and six digs. Sarah Lawrence also continued to pressure Pratt with its serve, collecting 11 aces over the three-set match. Along with Combs' five aces, Eva Anderson and Kai Perkins each added three, helping the Gryphons turn the second set into a decisive advantage.
Pratt showed more resistance in the third set, but Sarah Lawrence maintained control and closed out the match with a 25-19 victory. Vataj finished with 12 kills, three digs and a block assist, while Evie Iceton added five kills and Charlotte Siemsen contributed three kills while hitting .750. On the defensive side, Combs and Perkins each recorded 11 digs, while Costa added six. Pratt received three kills apiece from Colleen Russell, Joanna Doyle and Soleil Wang, while Russell also recorded five blocks. Despite Pratt's 6-3 advantage in blocks, Sarah Lawrence's advantages in kills, assists, aces and overall offensive efficiency proved too much as the Gryphons improved to 2-0.