Schenectady, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team dropped back-to-back matches in straight sets to Vassar College and Union College at the Union Classic on Saturday afternoon.
 
Match 1: Vassar 3, SUNY Cobleskill 0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-15)
 
In the first match against Vassar, senior Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn./Pope John Paul II Prep) led Cobleskill with four kills, two service aces, and two block assists. Sophomore setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) contributed three kills, three service aces, seven digs, and six assists, playing a versatile role for the Tigers.
 
Freshman Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) added three kills and three digs, while Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md.) anchored the defense with 10 digs. Despite their efforts, Cobleskill struggled offensively, posting a .024 hitting percentage with 18 kills and 16 errors on 84 attempts.
 
Vassar controlled the first set with two separate 4-0 runs, taking it 25-18 despite Cobleskill closing the gap to 10-9 early on. Cardenas-Powell had a strong showing with three kills in the first set. In the second set, the Tigers briefly led 13-11 after a 6-0 run fueled by three aces from Kirschberg, but Vassar responded with a 6-0 run of their own to win 25-18. In the final set, Vassar's early 14-6 lead was too much for Cobleskill to overcome, as they fell 25-15.
 
Vassar finished with a .232 hitting percentage and 12 service aces to secure the win.
 
Match 2: Union 3, SUNY Cobleskill 0 (25-10, 25-12, 25-7)
 
In the second match of the day, Cobleskill struggled on offense, hitting a negative -.123 as a team. Hallie Gasner led the Tigers with three kills, while Baylee Kirschberg added a service ace and a team-high six assists. Jojo Haycock once again led the defense with nine digs, and Jade Ward (Miami, FL/Felix Varela) chipped in with six digs.
 
Maya Cardenas-Powell (Portland, OR/Aloha) contributed two kills and two digs, while sophomore Ciarra Jager (Stephentown, NY/New Lebanon) had three kills and one block assist. Kathleen Smart added one kill and five digs.
 
Union took control early in the first set with a 14-4 lead and cruised to a 25-10 win. A brief 3-0 run by Cobleskill, sparked by a kill from Ashley Wright (Glenfield, NY/South Lewis), wasn't enough to slow Union's momentum. In the second set, Union built a 9-4 lead, and despite a 3-0 Cobleskill run to close the gap to 10-7, Union responded with a 9-2 run to finish the set 25-12. The final set saw Union score 11 unanswered points to take a commanding 20-6 lead, finishing the match with a 25-7 win.
 
Union dominated with a .329 hitting percentage, along with 13 service aces and 12 block assists to complete the sweep.