ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Host RIT rallied to win the final two sets and defeat Cortland, 3-2, in a non-league match that lasted two hours at the Tigers' Clark Gymnasium.

Cortland won the opening set, 26-24, but RIT won the second set, also by a 26-24 count. The Red Dragons captured the third set, 25-20, before the Tigers answered with a 25-18 win in the fourth and a 15-13 decision in the fifth. Both teams are now 12-15 following the decision.

Senior Ava Hintz (East Aurora) led Cortland with 17 kills and a career-high nine blocks, four solo. She hit at a .452 clip with only three errors in 31 attempts. Senior Aubrey Barrett (Liverpool) added 16 kills and recorded a .333 attack percentage and freshman Samantha Czeczotka (Elwood/John H. Glenn) finished with 10 kills, 11 digs, two aces and two blocks.

Juniors Mary Kelly (Guilderland) and Kelly Knauerhase (Cortland) each finished with seven kills and four blocks. Sophomore Kim Givelechian (Roslyn Heights/Herricks) and senior Krissy Silk (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) registered 10 digs each, with Givelechian also serving two aces, and freshman Liz Roberts (Island Park/West Hempstead) tallied 43 assists and three blocks. Cortland finished the match with 16 blocks and hit .269 as a team.

Sarah Szybist and Sara Martin accounted for 53 of RIT's 69 kills in the match. Szybist totaled 38 kills and 13 errors in 73 attempts for a .342 attack percentage and added four blocks and three aces. Martin had 15 kills. Emma Dowdy rang up 44 assists and 14 digs and Abby Higgins led the team with five blocks.

Cortland trailed 24-22 in the first set before scoring the final four points on a Barrett kill, an RIT ball-handling error, a Czeczotka kill and an RIT attack error. The Red Dragons fought off two set points in the second set and tied the set at 24-24 on blocks by Czeczotka and Barrett, but RIT called timeout and came back with kills by Martin and Szybist to win the set.

In the third set, Cortland used a 6-0 run to extend a 7-6 lead to 13-6. RIT eventually rallied to within 20-19, but Czeczotka recorded a kill and two aces to make it a 23-19 lead. Following an RIT block, Cortland completed the set with a kill by Kelly and a block by Hintz and Roberts.

RIT led much of the fourth set and was never seriously threatened late. In the fifth set, Cortland led 8-5 after kills by Kelly and Czeczotka, but the Tigers went on a 7-2 run after the change-over to take a 12-10 lead. Szybist had three kills and Martin two during that crucial run.

Cortland closed to within one on a Hintz kill, but a Red Dragon error and a Szybist kill gave RIT a 14-11 lead. The Red Dragons fought off two match points on a block by Kelly and Barrett and a kill by Kelly, but RIT sealed the match with a Szybist kill.

Cortland returns to action next Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Elmira at 6 p.m.