SCRANTON, PA. – Cortland rallied from a 2-1 deficit in sets and as much as a four-point deficit in the fifth set to defeat host Scranton in a non-league women's volleyball match. Cortland won 19-25, 25-17, 13-25, 25-20, 15-13 and improved to 5-4 on the season.
 
Junior Courtney Silberer (Centereach) led Cortland with 14 kills and five blocks. Freshman Nadia Moore (Durham, NC/Durham School of the Arts) and junior Valerie Fischer (Williston Park/Mineola) recorded 11 kills each, with Moore also picking up 11 digs. Moore stepped up to replace Janine Patora (Salt Point/Arlington), who left the match with an injury in the first set.
 
Junior Amanda May (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) chipped in with seven kills and two blocks. Junior Sarah Piacentini (Webster/Webster Schroeder) notched 39 assists and seven digs and sophomore Alexandra Graff (Apex, NC) led the team with 24 digs. Senior Samantha Czeczotka (Elwood/John H. Glenn) served four aces and added eight digs and junior Deja Smith (Suffern) registered three digs.
 
Kristin Kirwan led Scranton (6-5) with 14 kills and Catherine Manning had nine kills. Bailey Woods totaled 34 assists and Danielle Cafiero picked up 26 digs.
 
Cortland was within 19-18 in the first set before the Royals scored the next five points to take control. The Red Dragons overcame a 10-7 deficit in the second set by going on a 10-2 run on their way to evening the match. Scranton regained the lead in the third behind a 13-5 run that extended an 8-6 lead to 21-11.
 
In the fourth set, Cortland trailed 8-5 but bounced back to scored nine of the next 11 points. The 14-10 lead eventually grew to 23-15 before the hosts made things a little interesting with a 5-1 streak to close within 24-20. A service error, however, gave Cortland the set point.
 
Scranton grabbed an early 6-2 lead in the fifth and led 8-4 on the changeover. The Royals still held three-point leads at 10-7 and 11-8 on Kate Calabro kills. Cortland, however, responded with a 3-0 run on a Fischer kill, a setting error, and a Moore kill to tie the set at 11-11.
 
The hosts regained the lead on an error before a May kill tied things at 12-12. Scranton grabbed its final lead at 13-12 on a Manning kill, but Moore put down an attack to draw Cortland even again. The Red Dragons took the lead for good on another Moore kill, and a setting error by Scranton gave Cortland the set and match point.
 
Cortland will play three matches at the St. Joseph's (Long Island) Invitational this weekend. The Red Dragons face Old Westbury Friday at 6 p.m., Montclair State Saturday at 10 a.m., and the host Eagles Saturday at noon.