CORTLAND, N.Y. – Zoe Staats (Buchanan/Hendrick Hudson) and Allie Sturgess (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) combined for 26 of Cortland's 40 kills as the Red Dragons swept visiting Buffalo State, 25-19, 25-13, 25-23, in SUNYAC women's volleyball action.
 
Cortland improved to 11-3 overall and 5-0 in the league with the victory. Buffalo State dropped to 7-6 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
 
Staats totaled 14 kills and a .500 attack percentage and Sturgess had 12 kills, a .296 attack percentage, eight digs, two aces and two blocks. Giovanna Rossi (Nichols/Tioga) chipped in offensively with six kills. Meadow Wittman (Colden/Springville Griffith Institute) led Cortland with 17 assists, Megan McMahon (Ballston Spa) had 14 assists and a team-high three aces, Emma Reilly (Massapequa Park) posted a team-high five blocks, and Carly Haegele (Commack) led the Red Dragons with 10 digs.
 
Eden Harrison put down a team-high seven kills and added three blocks for Buffalo State. Liz Schultheis had five kills and four blocks and Jenna Hugenschmidt led the Bengals with 12 digs.
 
Cortland held a slim 15-14 lead in the first set before a four-point run that featured kills by Staats and Rossi and a Wittman ace. The Red Dragons led by at least three points the rest of the set. Cortland led the entire second set, but the third set featured nine ties and four lead changes. Buffalo State appeared on the verge of forcing a fourth set after a Cortland error and a block by Schultheis and Erin Mergler gave the Bengals a 23-21 lead. The Red Dragons, however, scored the match's final four points on an Alexa Guedez (Rye/Rye Neck) kill, a Buffalo State attack error, a block by Reilly and Jennifer Koestner (Syosset), and a Guedez service ace.
 
Cortland resumes league play next Friday and Saturday on the road against Geneseo and Brockport.