Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team faced a challenging afternoon on Sunday, dropping both matches at the Maine Maritime Tri-Match. The Fighting Tigers fell to host Maine Maritime Academy 3-0 (10-25, 19-25, 7-25) in their North Atlantic Conference opener before dropping a 3-0 (12-25, 18-25, 19-25) non-conference contest to St. Norbert College.

Game One: Cobleskill 0, Maine Maritime 3
Cobleskill opened the day against first-place Maine Maritime, falling in straight sets despite several strong individual performances. Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo.) led the attack with six kills and three digs, while setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) added five assists, two kills, and seven digs. Libero Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md.) paced the defense with nine digs, and outside hitter Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, N.Y.) chipped in six kills, two aces, and three digs. Setter Jade Ward (Miami, Fla.) also had a solid outing, finishing with a team-high seven assists and two digs.

As a team, Cobleskill recorded 15 kills compared to Maine Maritime's 44 and finished with 14 assists to the Mariners' 42. The Tigers collected 29 digs on the afternoon, while the hosts tallied 41. Both teams finished even in blocks with three apiece, though Maine Maritime held the edge in aces 13-3.

The Tigers found themselves down early, 9-4, before a kill and service ace from Gasner cut the deficit to three. The Mariners responded with a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 14-6, followed by a 7-0 surge that helped them secure the opening set 25-10.

Cobleskill jumped ahead 5-3 in the second set following an ace from first-year outside hitter Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, N.Y.). After several exchanges, the Tigers tied the game 9-9 on a Hinze kill, but Maine Maritime regained control with a 16-10 advantage. Cobleskill mounted a late rally with a 6-1 run, highlighted by two Gasner aces and two Hinze kills, but the Mariners held on for a 25-19 win before closing the match with a dominant 25-7 third-set victory.

Game Two: Cobleskill 0, St. Norbert 3
The Fighting Tigers wrapped up the day against St. Norbert College, battling through three competitive sets but ultimately falling 3-0. Hinze continued her strong play with 10 kills, four digs, and two assists to pace the Cobleskill offense. Kirschberg added six assists and a kill, while Haycock recorded five digs in the back row. Audrey Davis contributed four kills, and Gasner added five at the net, while Ward led the setting effort with nine assists.

Cobleskill finished with 22 kills to St. Norbert's 37, along with 19 assists and 22 digs. The Green Knights held the advantage in aces 12-2 and out-blocked the Tigers 5-1.

In the opening set, St. Norbert jumped out to an early 9-1 lead before Cobleskill responded with a Kirschberg kill assisted by Hinze. The Tigers found a rhythm midway through the set, cutting the lead to 12-6, but St. Norbert closed on a 6-0 run to take the set 25-12. Cobleskill's offense came alive in the second frame, using a 5-0 run sparked by Gasner and Hinze to take an 8-5 lead. The Tigers stayed close behind kills from Hinze and Kaleigh Capasso (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) to go up 13-11, but St. Norbert countered with a 10-1 run and held off a late Cobleskill push for a 25-18 win.

The Tigers continued to battle in the third set, narrowing the deficit to 10-7 on a Hinze kill assisted by Ward. Cobleskill tied the score at 18-18 following back-to-back kills from Hinze, but St. Norbert finished strong with a 7-1 run to close out the set 25-19 and take the match.

Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action next Friday, October 17, as they host the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader starting at 5:00 p.m. in Iorio Gymnasium.