Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Keuka Park, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team began their 2023 season opening road trip to western New York on Friday evening by losing a pair of contests at the  Keuka College Invitational hosted by the Wolves of Keuka College. The Fighting Tigers opened the event with a hard fought 3-2 loss to the Trailblazers of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) by set scores of 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 26-24 and 15-2   before closing the evening with a 0-0 loss the host Wolves of Keuka College by set scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-14. With the defeats Cobleskill opens the year with a 0-2 overall record.

In the opener the two teams checkerboarded wins the Trailblazers taking the first and third sets while the Fighting Tigers posted wins in sets two and four. However, after a fiercely contested fourth set won by Cobleskill, in the match's deciding fifth set MCLA jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage to secure the victory.

First-year outside hitter Emma Hinze, Allenburg, Mo., Saxon Lutheran High School, made an impressive debut with a team high of 11 kills to go with 14 digs while senior middle hitter/outside hitter Alexis Miranda, Nashua, N.H., Nashua North High School, chipped in 10 kills and three total blocks in the match.

The Fighting Tigers also received solid play from sophomore setter Jade Ward, Miami, Fla., Felix Valera High School, with 15 assists, seven digs and three service aces and from sophomore libero Lydia McDonough, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., John Jay High School, with 23 digs, four assists and three service aces.

The evenings finale saw the host Wolves use a strong defensive effort to limit the Fighting Tigers to only 14 kills in 81 attempts while taking advantage of 18 Cobleskill attack errors to secure the victory.

Once again outside hitter Emma Hinze led the teams in kills with five in the match while setter Jade Ward tallied eight assists and three digs.

The Orange & Black will conclude their Western New York road trip on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Hamburg, N.Y. for a non-league meeting with the Hawks of Hilbert College with first serve slated for 1:00 p.m.