Chicopee, Mass.: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team started their 2017 campaign on a high note Friday evening as the Fighting Tigers posted a 3-1 victory over the Spartans of Castleton State College by set scores of: 25-20, 19-25, 25-21 and 25-12 in the opening round of the Elms College Blazer Invitational. With the victory Cobleskill opens the campaign with a 1-0 overall record while Castleton starts out at 0-1 overall on the year.

The Fighting Tiger setting corps proved to be the key to the win over the Spartans as freshman Kendra Webb, Munnsville, N.Y., Stockbridge Valley High School, had 21 assists, 12 digs and eight service aces in her college debut while junior Mackenzie Holbert, Sauquoit, N.Y., New Hartford/Herkimer Community College, had a game high of 25 assists to go with eight digs and six service aces on the evening.

Cobleskill also received help upfront as freshman middle hitter Rachel Burke, West Winfield, N.Y., Mount Markham High School, had a team high of 11 kills and fellow freshman middle hitter Karyn Knaul, Central Square, N.Y., Paul V. Moore High School, chipped in 10 kills, three service aces, three digs and a pair of solo blocks to the team's victory totals.

The Orange & Black will conclude the tournament on Saturday when they face the host Blazers of Elms College at 10:00 a.m. followed by a 12:00 p.m. meeting with the Falcons of Albertus Magnus College.