CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women's volleyball team opened the 2014 season with wins over Utica and St. Lawrence during Day 1 of the 30th annual Red Dragon Classic at Corey Gymnasium. Cortland swept both matches, beating Utica, 25-14, 25-22, 25-15 and St. Lawrence, 25-17, 25-14, 25-15.

The 11-team tournament features a predetermined schedule instead of pool play and championship brackets. Cortland will face Lebanon Valley Saturday at 11 a.m. and will play Rochester at 4 p.m. Cortland, Lebanon Valley, Juniata and Hiram are each 2-0 after the first day of action.

Junior Sydney Hayward (Trumansburg) put down a team-high 11 kills and shared the team lead with eight digs in the win over Utica. Sophomore Samantha Czeczotka (Elwood/John H. Glenn) added 10 kills, a .421 attack percentage and eight digs and senior Mary Kelly (Guilderland) finished with nine kills and just one error in 17 attempts for a .471 attack percentage.

Sophomore Liz Roberts (Island Park/West Hempstead) recorded 38 assists for a 12.7 assist-per-set average. Sophomore Victoria Grix (Pearl River) added eight digs and freshman Jessie Allen (Syracuse/West Genesee) registered five kills in as many attempts for a perfect 1.000 attack percentage.

Versus St. Lawrence, Kelly led a balanced attack with eight kills and finished with a .500 attack percentage. Hayward had seven kills and Czeczotka added five kills and three aces. Czeczotka, Grix and sophomore Melanie McGuirk (Lido Beach/Kellenberg) each totaled eight digs and Roberts distributed 25 assists.

Tournament Web Page