CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland finished with a 3-0 record at its own Red Dragon Volleyball Classic after defeating Nazareth on Saturday in four sets, 25-15, 27-29, 25-15, 25-15.
 
Cortland, now 3-1 on the season, will return to action next weekend with a match at Montclair State on Friday evening and matches Saturday afternoon versus Kean and NYU, both at Kean in New Jersey.
 
Nicole Van Pelt (Montgomery/Valley Central) finished with 15 kills and 11 digs for the Red Dragons. Alexa Guedez (Rye/Rye Neck), Maya Owens (Nyack) and Caterina Mangogna (Manorville/Eastport-South Manor) each registered seven kills, with Guedez and Owens sharing the team lead with four blocks apiece.
 
Setters Meadow Wittman (Colden/Springville Griffith Institute), Megan McMahon (Ballston Spa) and Ryan Hinshaw (Aurora, IL/Joliet Catholic) recorded 17, 11 and 10 assists, respectively. Hinshaw served a team-high five aces, and Carly Haegele (Commack) added eight assists, two aces and 13 digs. Hannah Southcott (Princeton, WV) led the Red Dragons with 17 digs and also contributed six kills.
 
Tessa Grove paced Nazareth (2-1) with 12 kills, four blocks and two aces and was second with 11 digs and 11 assists. Zoe Tylipakis handed out 17 assists and Kaylee Kelly put down eight kills.
 
Cortland finished with a .208 attack percentage, compared to a .054 mark for the Golden Flyers.
 
Cortland used a 5-0 run in the first set to extend a 12-10 lead to 17-10 and wasn't threatened after that. In the second set, the Red Dragons trailed 23-19 but fought back to tie the score at 23-23. The teams battled after that before Nazaerth closed the set on a service error and a McKenzie Hart ace.
 
The Red Dragons took control midway through the third set, extending a 10-6 lead to 15-6. Hinshaw had two aces during that run. The fourth set was tied at 9-9 before Cortland rattled off seven straight points and never looked back.