Cortland women's volleyball junior outside hitter Kira Pirrera (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) has been named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Player of the Year and senior libero/defensive specialist Alyssa Rich (Rochester/Churchville-Chili) has been chosen as the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, in a vote of the league's coaches.
 
Pirrera and Rich are two of Cortland's four players who earned All-SUNYAC honors. Pirrera was named to the first team, Rich and sophomore middle blocker Lauren Millspaugh (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) were picked for the second team, and senior outside hitter Emalee Ballou (Eden) was chosen to the third team.
 
Pirrera earned all-league honors for the second time; she was on the third team as a freshman in 2023. This fall, Pirrera leads the Red Dragons with 422 kills and 54 aces and ranks third with 50 blocks in 110 sets over 31 matches. In nine regular-season SUNYAC matches, Pirrera finished with 106 kills (3.7 per set), a .262 attack percentage and 22 aces.
 
Rich leads Cortland with 487 digs (4.4 per set) and is third with 37 aces in 110 sets over 31 matches. She has a .963 reception percentage with 19 errors in 512 serve receptions. Rich averaged 4.6 digs per set in nine league regular-season matches, and she was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team after posting a combined 25 digs in two Cortland victories.
 
Millspaugh has played 107 sets during 31 matches and has season totals of 219 kills, a .389 attack percentage and a team-high 102 blocks. She recorded 63 kills, a .397 attack percentage and 29 blocks (1.0 per set) in nine league regular-season matches, and she was named SUNYAC Tournament MVP after finishing with 16 kills and one error in 29 attempts (.517 attack percentage) and six blocks in two wins.
 
Ballou has played in 110 sets over 31 matches and ranks second on the team with 294 kills (2.7 per set). She also has 29 blocks and 116 digs. In nine league regular-season matches, Ballou totaled 77 kills (2.7 per set) and a .278 attack percentage, and she earned a spot on the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team after a combined 20 kills and a .265 attack percentage in two victories.
 
Cortland (24-7) won its fifth straight SUNYAC title, going 9-0 in the league's regular season for the fifth consecutive year and sweeping Buffalo State and Oswego in the conference tournament. Cortland will face Christopher Newport University in the opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, Va.