Cobleskill, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team split their Saturday doubleheader, falling to Skidmore College in the morning in straight sets (15-25, 16-25, 24-26) before bouncing back to defeat Keuka College 3-1 (9-25, 25-18, 25-19, 27-25) later in the day.

Game 1: SUNY Cobleskill 0, Skidmore 3,
Set Scores: 25-15, 25-16, 26-24

The Fighting Tigers fell 3-0 to Skidmore College in the opening match of the day.

Despite a slow start in the first two sets, Cobleskill showed resilience in the third set, pushing Skidmore to the limit before falling 26-24. Cobleskill's Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) had a strong performance, contributing 10 kills, two blocks and a service ace, while second-year setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) added 21 assists and five digs.

Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo/Saxony Lutheran) chipped in with five kills and six digs as Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn./Pope John Paul II Prep) finished with six kills, five digs, two assists and two service aces.

In the first set, Skidmore took early control, racing out to a 16-3 lead. A series of attack errors from Cobleskill, along with key kills from Skidmore, allowed the Thoroughbreds to close out the set with a 25-15 victory. The second set saw Skidmore pulled ahead midway through the set, extending a slim 5-4 lead to 15-7.  Cobleskill attempted to mount a comeback, but the visitors answered every challenge. Skidmore went on to secure the set 25-16.

The third set saw Cobleskill mount a spirited comeback. Trailing 14-9, they rallied to tie the game at 19-19 and 22-22 behind three straight kills from Gasner and precise passing from Kirschberg. Despite the effort, Skidmore's Manning and Chen came up with crucial kills in the final moments to clinch the match with a 26-24 win.

Key Stats
-Kills: Cobleskill 26, Skidmore 41
-Digs: Cobleskill 25, Skidmore 21
-Assists: Cobleskill 23, Skidmore 33
-Aces: Cobleskill 3, Skidmore 7
 

Game 2: SUNY Cobleskill 3, Keuka College 1
Set Scores: 9-25, 25-18, 25-19, 27-25

In their second match of the day, SUNY Cobleskill bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Keuka College, overcoming a tough start to claim the next three sets.

Despite dropping the first set 25-9, Cobleskill rallied behind strong performances from Hallie Gasner, Kathleen Smart, and Baylee Kirschberg.

Kathleen Smart paced the Tigers with 10 kills and 13 digs, while Hallie Gasner contributed nine kills and four service aces. Baylee Kirschberg again led the team in assists with 31 and chipped in two service aces, and Ciarra Jager (Stephentown, NY/New Lebanon) added five kills and three blocks. Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md) played a key defensive role, recording 12 digs and three service aces. Emma Hinze had an all-around game finishing with eight kills, three assists and 10 digs.

Keuka jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first set, capitalizing on errors from Cobleskill to take a commanding advantage thanks to Bryn Straub and Dayna Edholm who were instrumental for Keuka in the set. Cobleskill struggled to gain any traction, eventually dropping the set 25-9.

The Fighting Tigers turned the tide in the second set.  With the game all tied up at 15-15, Ashley Wright (Glenfield, NY/South Lewis) delivered a powerful kill, assisted by Kirschberg, to give Cobleskill a 16-15 lead.  The Tigers used that momentum to extend their lead to 24-17 and close out the set 25-18 after a kill by Emma Hinze.

In the third set, Cobleskill exploded to a 11-5 lead thanks to kills by Kathleen Smart.  The Wolves battled back to make it a one-point game, 14-13, but the Tigers offense proved to be too much as they closed out the set with a 3-0 run to take the set 25-19.

The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair that saw both teams in control at different times. With the game tied at 17-17, the Wolves took at 18-17 lead before Cobleskill went on a mini 3-0 run to take a 20-18 lead.  Keuka fought back with their own 3-0 run and jumped out to a 24-23 lead.  The Fighting Tigers took a 25-24 lead after first-year middle hitter Ciarra Jager slammed home a spike that sparked Cobleskill to a 27-25 win.

Key Stats
-Kills: Cobleskill 37, Keuka 43
-Digs: Cobleskill 51, Keuka 51
-Assists: Cobleskill 36, Keuka 40
-Aces: Cobleskill 11, Keuka 11

The Fighting Tigers return to action on Tuesday, September 24^th, as they travel to Utica University for a non-conference battle at 7:00 p.m.