POTSDAM, N.Y. – Potsdam won the final two sets as the host Bears rallied for a five-set victory over Cortland in a SUNYAC women's volleyball match.
Potsdam won 25-22, 20-25, 16-25, 25-19, 15-12 to improve to 8-10 overall and 2-2 in SUNYAC play. Cortland suffered its first league loss and is now 19-7 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The Red Dragons lost to the Bears in five sets for the second straight season, with last year's loss coming on a neutral court at Brockport.
Hannah Southcott (Princeton, WV) led Cortland with 13 kills and 20 digs.
Maya Owens (Nyack),
Camryn Anderson (Bronx/Cardinal Spellman) and
Bridgette Moran (Massapequa Park/St. John the Baptist) finished with seven kills apiece. Moran led the Red Dragons with eight blocks, three solo, while Owens and Anderson each had four blocks.
Gabby Amelio (Pine Bush) paced Cortland with 23 assists and six aces and also had 10 digs.
Malley Bowen (Tioga/Tioga Central) tallied 18 assists and 10 digs and
Carly Haegele (Commack) added 16 digs.
Jessica Ader totaled 16 kills and 23 digs and Nicole Hansen added 13 kills and five aces for Potsdam. Kendall Jones dished out 37 assists.
The first set was tied at 22 before Potsdam scored the last three points, starting with a Hansen kill. Cortland jumped out to a 9-3 lead and never trailed from that point in the second set. Trailing 10-9 in the third set, Cortland went on an 8-2 run to take control, and finished the set on a 5-0 run.
Potsdam led 18-7 in the fourth set before the Red Dragons fought back to within three at 20-17 on a run that featured four kills by Southcott and two each by Anderson and
Olivia Doorley (Pearl River). The Bears, however, scored four straight points to help force a fifth set. In that final set, Potsdam grabbed a 4-1 lead and never trailed. Cortland was within two numerous times, the last at 13-11 after a block by Owens and Anderson. A service error gave Potsdam a 14-11 lead and, following a Southcott kill, Potsdam won the set and the match after a Cortland attack went out of bounds.
Cortland will play at Plattsburgh Saturday at 1 p.m.
