DALLAS, PA. - The Cortland women's volleyball team split two five-set matches at a tri-match hosted by Misericordia University. The Red Dragons defeated Lynchburg University, 25-23, 25-14, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10, and the host Cougars beat Cortland, 14-25, 27-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-12.
Cortland (7-7) begins SUNYAC play next weekend with matches at Buffalo State on Friday and Fredonia on Saturday.
Kira Pirrera (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) led Cortland with 18 kills and added five blocks and seven digs in the win over Lynchburg (12-4).
Erica Arroyo (Nesconset/Smithtown West) ended with 12 kills and
Reese Chudoba (Hamburg) recorded 11 kills.
Lauren Millspaugh (Trumansburg/Charles O. Dickerson) had eight kills, a .429 attack percentage and three blocks, and
Sanaiya Whitted (Poughkeepsie/Franklin D. Roosevelt) finished with eight kills.
Lily Coan (Sayville) and
Melissa O'Connor (Hauppauge) handed out 22 and 21 assists, respectively.
Sarah Taggart (Buffalo/Williamsville South) posted a team-high 21 digs, followed by O'Connor with 17 and Coan with 13, and
Anna Lynch (Rochester/Our Lady of Mercy) led the Red Dragons with six blocks.
Madi Pratt paced the Hornets with 11 kills and four blocks.
Cortland's opening set win consisted of 12 ties and five lead changes. The Red Dragons broke a 21-21 tie with three straight points, one on a Pirrera kill, one on a block by Whitted and Lynch, and one on a block by Lynch and Pirrera. Lynchburg got back to within 24-23 before Pirrera's kill ended the set. Cortland controlled most of the second set, extending a 14-10 lead to 19-10 and never looking back.
Lynchburg was never seriously threatened in the third set. In the fourth, Cortland trailed 23-20 before two kills pushed the Hornets to a fifth set. In the fifth, Cortland scored four straight, two on Pirrera kills, to take a 6-2 lead, and the Red Dragons led by at least three the rest of the way.
Against Misericordia, Pirrera led Cortland with 12 kills. Millspaugh added 10 kills and Whitted had nine. Coan was the team leader with 24 assists, Taggart registered 21 digs,
Bianca Sapano (Floral Park/Kellenberg Memorial) finished with 16 digs, and Lynch and Millspaugh each had three blocks.
Cassandra Genduso finished with 14 kills and five blocks, Jennifer Nicometo had 11 kills, and Olivia Conza rang up 40 assists for Misericordia (9-5).
Cortland finished the first set on a 9-1 run to win going away. The Red Dragons led 24-20 in the second before the hosts scored the next five points. Cortland fought off one set point, but the Cougars scored the final two points on a service error and a Nicometo kill.
There were nine ties and six lead changes in the third set. Down 24-22, Cortland tied the set on a block by Whitted and Millspaugh and a kill by Arroyo, and the Red Dragons took a 25-24 lead after a block by Lynch and Arroyo. Misericordia, however, scored the last three points on kills by Keira McCaffrey and Isabella Lutter and a block by Lutter. Cortland led 23-18 in the fourth before the hosts rallied to tie the set at 23-23, but Cortland tallied the last two points on a service error and a Misericordia misplay.
The fifth set was tied seven times, the last at 12-12. The Cougars scored the match's final three points on a block by Taylor Marsh and Genduso, a block by McCaffrey and Genduso, and a Cortland attack error.
