SWARTHMORE, PA. - The Cortland women's volleyball team opened its 2025 season with a four-set victory over UMass Boston during Day 1 of the Swarthmore College Garnet Invitational. The Red Dragons lost the first set to the Beacons, 26-24, before winning the next three sets, 25-12, 25-19, 25-22.
 
Cortland continues action at the tournament Saturday with matches versus nationally top-ranked Juniata, the three-time defending NCAA Division III champion, at 11 a.m. and host Swarthmore at 6:30 p.m.
 
Junior Kira Pirrera (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) and senior Emalee Ballou (Eden) led Cortland with 14 kills apiece. Pirrera also finished with 14 digs and Ballou had 11 digs. Sophomore Lauren Millspaugh (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) registered seven kills, a .385 attack percentage and five blocks, three solo. Senior Emma Reilly (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) totaled six kills and three solo blocks.
 
Freshman Kayla Wasserman (Minisink/Minisink Valley) led the Red Dragons with 18 assists and added 21 digs. Sophomore Melissa O'Connor (Hauppauge) added 13 assists and six digs and senior Alyssa Rich (Rochester/Churchville-Chili) led the team with 26 digs.
 
Paige Coulson led UMass Boston (0-1) with nine kills and 22 digs and Addie Blomgren finished with nine blocks, four solo.
 
UMass Boston rallied from an 18-11 deficit to win the opening set. The Beacons used a 12-2 run to take a 23-20 lead before Cortland answered with three straight points to tie the set. The Red Dragons fought off a set point after trailing 24-23, but UMB scored the next two points to take the set.
 
Cortland responded with a strong second set to even the match. The Red Dragons led 14-10 before rattling off seven straight points to go up 21-10 on the way to the convincing victory. In the third set, Cortland turned a 13-11 lead into a 16-11 score and, after UMB cut the lead to 16-13, the Red Dragons scored the next point and led by at least four the rest of the way. In the fourth set, UMB led 13-10 before Cortland rallied to knot the score at 15-15 for the set's seventh tie. The Red Dragons clung to a 21-20 advantage before scoring three of the next four points, and two points later Millspaugh's kill ended the match.