BROCKPORT, N.Y. - Cortland's quest for a berth in the SUNYAC women's volleyball playoffs came up just short in heartbreaking fashion as the Red Dragons lost an epic five-set battle with Potsdam to close out the league regular-season schedule.

Cortland was also swept earlier in the day by Oswego, setting up a scenario where the Red Dragons would have qualified for the sixth and final playoff spot with a win over Potsdam. Instead, Cortland (10-17, 3-6 SUNYAC) finished tied for seventh along with Oneonta, one game behind Potsdam (11-15, 4-5) and Oswego (16-12, 4-5).

Potsdam 3, Cortland 2

Potsdam defeated Cortland 26-24, 26-24, 22-25, 30-32, 14-16. The Bears overcame a 24-18 deficit in the first set by scoring the final eight points, then came back from a 24-21 deficit in the second set with five straight points, including two kills each by Nicole Hansen and Emme Price.


The third set was tied at 18-18 before Cortland went on a 5-1 run, capped by three straight kills from Nadia Moore (Durham, NC/Durham School of the Arts), to take a 23-19 lead. Potsdam got back to within 24-22 before Bridgette Moran's (Massapequa Park/St. John the Baptist) kill ended the set.

Cortland trailed 23-20 in the fourth set, and was down 24-22 and facing two Potsdam match points before tying the score on a Potsdam service error and a Moore kill. The Red Dragons erased other Potsdam potential match points at 25-24, 26-25 and 28-27, but also had their own set points go by the boards at 27-26, 29-28 and 30-29. With the set tied at 30, Cortland finally pulled out the set on two Taylor Konzen (Bohemia/Connetquot) kills.

Potsdam raced out to an 8-3 lead in the fifth set, but Cortland gradually clawed back and tied the score at 11 on a Nicole Van Pelt (Montgomery/Valley Central) kill. The Bears scored the next two points on a Monica Mack kill and a Hansen ace, but Cortland rebounded again with a Moran kill and a Potsdam error to knot the score at 13. Mack's kill set up a Potsdam match point, but an error by the Bears drew the set at 14. Potsdam finally claimed the set and the match after a service error and a Cortland misplayed ball.

Van Pelt led Cortland with career highs of 18 kills and 11 digs. Moore finished with 16 kills, Moran had a career-best 14 kills, and Camryn Anderson (Bronx/Cardinal Spellman) matched her career best with 11 kills and led the team with four blocks.

Gabby Amelio (Pine Bush) amassed a career-high 62 assists - the most by a Red Dragon since Kristen Guercio's 68 assists versus Case Western Reserve in the 2010 NCAA tournament. Amelio also finished with 22 digs.

Konzen recorded a career-high 12 kills and tied her career high with 10 digs. Kiersten Cote (East Rockaway/Kellenberg Memorial) finished with a career-best 30 digs, and Cote and Emilee Chiavetta (Angola/Immaculata Academy) each served three aces.

Gabby Scott led Potsdam with 17 kills, followed by Mack with 13 and Hansen with 12. Brianna Rodda had 45 assists and Natalie Magallon totaled 45 digs.

Oswego 3, Cortland 0

Oswego defeated Cortland 25-23, 25-22, 25-17 behind Shauna O'Flaherty's nine kills and 18 digs and Melissa Lussier's eight kills. Allison Sullivan ended with six blocks and Alison Berger had 19 assists.

Konzen paced Cortland with eight kills and was second with 10 digs. Moran added five kills and three blocks, Moore had three blocks and eight digs, and Cote notched a team-best 21 digs.

Cortland trailed 20-13 and 24-20 in the first set but cut the score to 24-23 after a service error, a block by Anderson and Moore, and an Oswego ball handling error. The Lakers closed the set with a kill from Sullivan.

The Red Dragons closed a 24-20 deficit in the second set to 24-22 after kills by Anderson and Moran before an attack error gave Oswego the win. Oswego held early leads of 5-1 and 13-6 in the third and held at least a five-point advantage the rest of the way.

Cortland will wrap up the season with five non-league matches over the next week, starting Tuesday evening at St. John Fisher.