HOBOKEN, N.J. – The nationally 19th-ranked Cortland women's volleyball team survived a scare in its first match to defeat Baruch College in five sets and swept Polytechnic Institute of NYU in three sets during the first day of competition at the Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks Invitational.

Cortland improved to 20-0 with the victories and is off to the best start in school history. The previous school record for most consecutive wins to start a season was 19 in the 1996 season. The 1989 squad won its first 16 matches.

In addition, Cortland's 20-match win streak is tied for third longest in program history. The 2003 Red Dragons won 39 matches after losing their season opener. The 2004 team boasted a 21-match win streak and the 1996 squad had a 20-match win streak in addition to its 19-match streak that opened the year.

Cortland lost the first two sets to Baruch before rebounding to win 28-30, 18-25, 25-11, 25-18, 15-7. Senior Ashley Coyle (Mt. Hope/Minisink Valley) finished with 16 kills, 13 digs and four aces. Sophomore Ava Hintz (East Aurora) added a career-high 13 kills and senior Sheena Asibey (Brentwood) had 10 kills, eight digs and three blocks.

Junior Kristen Guercio (Smithtown/Smithtown East) recorded 55 assists, eight digs and two kills. Junior Natalie Zacpal (Islip) totaled seven kills and a career-high seven blocks, junior Katie Wick (Cortland/Homer) chipped in with four kills, two blocks and a team-high 16 digs and sophomore Aubrey Barrett (Liverpool) had five kills and two blocks. In addition, senior Jaclyn Lawrence (Marilla/Iroquois Central) and sophomore Krissy Silk (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) registered 12 and eight digs, respectively.

Cortland then cruised past NYU-Poly 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 behind eight kills apiece from Asibey and Coyle. Asibey also finished with eight digs and Coyle had nine digs and two aces. Guercio distributed 32 assists and picked up 13 digs.

Zacpal finished with seven kills and three blocks, Hintz amassed five kills and two blocks and freshman Kelly Knauerhase (Cortland) recorded four kills. Wick notched nine digs from the libero position.

Cortland and nationally 18th-ranked UMass Boston are both 2-0 after the opening day of the six-team tournament. The Red Dragons and the Beacons will play Saturday at noon, with Cortland also facing the host school Stevens at 2 p.m.