CORTLAND, N.Y. - Cortland scored the final five points to break a 20-20 tie in the first set and the last three points to pull away from a 22-22 tie in the second set on the way to a three-set sweep of visiting RIT. The Red Dragons won 25-20, 25-22 and 25-12 to improve to 9-8 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 11-8.

Freshman Katie Wick (Cortland/Homer) led Cortland with 14 kills versus three errors in 30 attempts for a .367 attack percentage. Sophomore Sheena Asibey (Brentwood) finished with eight kills and four blocks.

Michelle Gaufman (Wantagh/MacArthur) and Ariel Rakita (Lake Grove/Sachem) - Cortland's two seniors who were honored prior to the match - recorded five kills each. Rakita also had eight digs, three blocks and three aces and Gaufman added seven digs and three blocks. Freshman Kristen Guercio (Smithtown/Smithtown East) totaled 32 assists and two aces, sophomore Kaitlyn Cooper (Rochester/Webster Schroeder) had three kills and five blocks and freshman Erin Carrino (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) finished with a team-high 12 digs.

Victoria Petko (East Amherst/Clarence) led RIT with nine kills, two aces and five blocks. Rebecca Moore (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) added seven kills and Cristine Schiavello (West Chester, PA/Unionville) finished with 11 assists.

The first set featured 11 ties and neither team led by more than three points until Cortland's final run. RIT tied the match at 20-20 on a Petko kill, but a strong kill by Gaufman on an RIT overhit gave the Red Dragons the lead for good. A kill by Wick, two RIT errors and a Gaufman ace finished the set.

RIT raced out to leads of 8-1 and 9-2 in the second set. The Red Dragons, however, went on an 11-3 run to take a 13-12 lead. The set was tied six more times from that point. Cortland trailed 20-17 after a Petko kill, but scored four of the next five points, including kills by Asibey and Wick and a kill and ace by Guercio. RIT took its last lead at 22-21 on a Moore kill, but Cortland forced the final tie on a Wick kill and scored the last three points, capped by a Rakita and Cooper combined block.

The third set was tied early at 5-5, and RIT was still within 8-7 after a Moore kill. The Red Dragons, however, used an 8-1 run to take a 16-8 lead and never looked back. Rakita had three aces in that run, and Wick recorded four of her kills after that point, including the final point of the match.