Cobleskill, NY:  The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team swept past VTSU-Johnson in straight sets (25-15, 25-17, 25-8) in the NAC West Division semifinals on Saturday, securing a spot in the divisional championship game against SUNY Delhi on Sunday.

Cobleskill's offense was led by standout performances from Emma Hinze (Altenbur, Mo/Saxony Lutheran), who delivered an efficient eight kills on 10 attempts with no errors, achieving an impressive .800 hitting percentage. Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) also added eight kills, hitting .429 and contributing four service aces. Setter Jade Ward (Miami, Fla./Felix Varela)was instrumental in orchestrating the offense with 12 assists, while also contributing six service aces and maintaining a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage on her single attack.

Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn./Pope John Paul II Prep) chipped in with four kills and a service ace, while Ciarra Jager (Stephentown, NY/New Lebanon) added five kills and a block assist. Libero Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md) anchored the defense with seven digs, and Baylee Kirschberg's (Lindenhurst, NY) versatility shone with four digs, two kills, and an assist.

In a team-wide effort all night, Cobleskill excelled in nearly every statistical category. The Tigers posted a .265 hitting percentage, far exceeding VTSU-Johnson's .033, and tallied a match-high 17 service aces compared to VTSU-Johnson's 2. Cobleskill also edged out VTSU-Johnson in digs, 28-27, with consistent back-row play that helped sustain their momentum throughout the match. Cobleskill's blocking provided timely points, while their aggressive serving repeatedly put VTSU-Johnson on the defensive, contributing to numerous scoring runs and keeping the Tigers firmly in control across all three sets.

In the opening set, Cobleskill jumped out to a 10-4 lead, capitalizing on a series of Johnson errors. Though the Badgers managed to narrow the gap to 15-11 after an attack error by Ciarra Jager, Cobleskill quickly responded with a decisive 5-1 run fueled by additional Johnson miscues. The Tigers maintained their momentum and closed the set at 25-15 with a well-timed service ace from Kathleen Smart and a kill by Hallie Gasner, assisted by Baylee Kirschberg.

Cobleskill carried that energy into the second set, building an early 6-2 advantage. A service ace from Gasner extended their lead to 16-11, followed shortly by a 3-0 run sparked by an Emma Hinze kill and another service ace, pushing the score to 23-15 and putting the set out of Johnson's reach.

The third set saw the Fighting Tigers assert complete control, dominating Johnson with a 25-8 win to seal the match. Jade Ward led the charge with four service aces, while Hinze added a run of four consecutive aces of her own, leaving no doubt about which team would advance.

With the win, the Fighting Tigers will face SUNY Delhi in the NAC West Division Championship game on Sunday, November 10th, at 1:00 p.m. at SUNY Delhi, with a chance to move on to the NAC Championship.