CORTLAND, N.Y. – The top-seeded Cortland women's volleyball team won its fourth straight State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title and 23rd overall with a 25-14, 25-9, 25-22 sweep of second-seeded Buffalo State in the conference tournament championship match at Corey Gymnasium.

Cortland (26-5) earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs. The 64-team playoff field and pairings will be announced on Monday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m., and eight regionals, each with eight teams, will begin on Thursday.
 
Cortland did not lose a set to a SUNYAC opponent this season, either in nine regular-season matches or two conference tournament matches. The Red Dragons accomplished that feat for the first time since 2000.
 
Middle blocker Alexa Guedez (Mamaroneck/Rye Neck) was named the SUNYAC Tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate outside hitters Anna Pilkey (Ballston Spa) and Jennifer Koestner (Syosset). Also on the all-tournament team were Buffalo State's Eden Harrison and Samantha Coakley, Morrisville's Emily Huppee and New Paltz's Jamie Albrecht.
 
Koestner led the Red Dragons with 13 kills and had a .375 attack percentage. Pilkey finished with nine kills and one error in 21 attempts for a .381 attack percentage and had six digs, while Guedez finished with seven kills, a .400 attack percentage and two blocks.
 
Kira Pirrera (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) closed the match with five kills and one error in nine attempts (.444 attack percentage) along with three blocks and Kyrah Wilbur (Syracuse/Baldwinsville) ended with five kills, eight digs and three aces. Ryan Hinshaw (Aurora, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) registered 19 assists and three aces, Samantha Rodriguez (Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) led the Red Dragons with four aces and had 10 assists, Mikenzie Martens (Carthage) scooped up a team-best 17 digs. Emma Reilly (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) paced Cortland with six blocks.
 
Buffalo State (20-10), appearing in its first SUNYAC title match since winning the 2013 title, was led by Coakley with nine kills and Harrison with five kills. Karlie Shaffer had 18 assists and 14 digs, Ella Wittman finished with 10 digs and Adi Vergara added eight digs.
 
Cortland trailed 9-6 in the first set before going on a 12-3 run to take an 18-12 lead on its way to the 11-point win. The Red Dragons took control early in the second set, forging leads of 13-3, 19-6 and 22-7. The third set featured nine ties and four lead changes. Cortland led 20-15 before the Bengals rallied to tie the set at 22-22. Cortland scored the final three points to claim the set and match on a kill by Pilkey, a block by Koestner and Guedez, and a Koestner kill.