CORTLAND, NY – The Cortland women's volleyball team defeated Cobleskill in three sets and Muhlenberg in four sets in a tri-match in Corey Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. Prior to the contest, Cortland conducted a Senior Day celebration for the three Red Dragon seniors;
Emalee Ballou (Eden),
Emma Reilly (Massapequa Park/Massapequa), and
Alyssa Rich (Rochester/Churchville-Chili).
Cortland improves to 11-4 on the season ahead of its State University of New York Athletic Conference opener against Buffalo State next Friday. Muhlenberg ends the day at 8-10 and Cobleskill is 1-9, which includes a three-set sweep for the Mules over the Fighting Tigers in the second match of the day.
Melissa O'Connor (Hauppage) handed out 10 assists and delivered an exceptional eight service aces for the Red Dragons against Cobleskill, while
Lauren Millspaugh (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) had seven kills on 10 attempts for a .700 hitting percentage with six total blocks.
Kira Pirrera (Happauge) had nine kills and a .316 attack percentage, while
Erica Arroyo (Nesconset/Smithtown West) chipped in six kills, and Rich contributed 10 digs.
Kathleen Smart had six kills and seven digs for Cobleskill.
Cortland led 13-8 in the opening set, and won 12 of the final 15 points to cruise to a 25-11 win. The Red Dragons had a 5-3 lead early in the second set, before O'Connor had a 13-point serving run that included seven aces to extend the lead to 18-3, on the way to a comfortable 25-9 win. The third set was much tighter, and the Red Dragons trailed by as many as five points midway through the set. Cortland closed the deficit and eventually took its first lead of the set at 19-18 after a combo block from Millspaugh and
Sanaiya Whitted (Poughkeepsie/Franklin D. Roosevelt). After the Fighting Tigers evened the score at 19-19, Millspaugh had two kills and two blocks in the final six points to help the Red Dragons secure the sweep.
Pirrera contributed 17 kills and 11 digs against Muhlenberg, and Millspaugh added nine kills without an error for a .450 attack percentage and six blocks. Ballou finished with 11 kills and five digs. O'Connor handed out 30 assists, and
Anna Lynch (Rochester/Our Lady of Mercy) totaled five kills on eight attempts. Rich finished with a team-leading 16 digs.
The Mules were led by Abigail Oswari with nine kills and seven digs. Chloe Gaglione added 11 digs and Ansley Asche had 15 assists and nine digs.
Cortland jumped out to a 14-8 lead in the opening set, but Muhlenberg fought back to within two points at 20-18. The Mules then won six straight points behind a pair of aces by Oswari to lead 24-20. Cortland scored two straight points before a kill by Olivia Bruno gave Muhlenberg the win in the first set. The Red Dragons took a 15-8 lead in the second set behind six kills by Pirrera, and led by at least six points the rest of the way to even the match at one set apiece. Cortland had a dominant 25-11 victory in the third set behind four kills from Millspaugh and three kills each by Ballou and Arroyo. The Red Dragons raced out to a commanding 13-5 lead in the fourth set and closed out the match with a 25-10 win, with Lynch recording the kill for the final point.
