Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team treated their home fans to a Halloween thriller on Friday night, defeating St. Lawrence University 3-2 (29-27, 25-22, 11-25, 22-25, 15-11) inside Iorio Gymnasium. The victory marked another statement win for the Fighting Tigers, who battled through momentum swings and late-set drama to earn the five-set triumph.
Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo.) and
Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) led the way for Cobleskill in the spooky showdown. Hinze filled the stat sheet with 14 kills, nine digs, three aces, and two assists while hitting .250. Gasner was a force at the net, posting 13 kills, two blocks, and eight digs, while her front-row presence disrupted the Saints' attack all evening.
Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn.) anchored the defense with a team-high 13 digs, adding three kills, two aces, and two assists.
Setters
Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) and
Jade Ward (Miami, Fla.) kept the Tiger offense humming, distributing the ball evenly to their hitters. Ward finished with 10 assists and six digs, while Kirschberg contributed eight assists, nine digs, and two kills. At the net,
Ciarra Jager (Stephentown, NY) added three assisted blocks and two kills, giving Cobleskill key points in crucial moments.
Statistically, St. Lawrence held slight advantages in kills (47-41), assists (35-31), and aces (15-9), but Cobleskill countered with a strong defensive effort—leading in digs (57-53)—while both teams finished with five blocks.
The Tigers came out swinging in the first set, racing to a 7-3 lead after a Kirschberg ace. St. Lawrence responded with a run of their own, but the rest of the set turned into a back-and-forth battle featuring 12 ties. Down 22-20, Cobleskill surged late with a 4-0 run capped by a Kirschberg kill to make it 24-22. The Saints fought back to go up 25-24, but Gasner delivered two clutch kills before Hinze slammed home the winner to seal a 29-27 opening-set victory.
The second set mirrored the first with tight rallies and big plays on both sides. After trading points early, Cobleskill broke through with a 5-0 run sparked by kills from Hinze and
Kaleigh Capasso (Ballston Spa, NY) to go up 17-13. The Tigers maintained control down the stretch, closing the set 25-22 on a St. Lawrence error to take a 2-0 match lead.
St. Lawrence refused to go quietly, responding with a dominant third set. After an 8-8 tie, the Saints strung together a lengthy run to pull ahead 21-10. Despite a late Cobleskill push, St. Lawrence took the set 25-11 to keep the match alive.
The Saints carried that momentum into the fourth, jumping out to a 22-13 lead before the Tigers rallied with a six-point burst behind steady serving and defense. Hinze's late kill and a St. Lawrence error made it 24-22, but the Saints managed to hang on for a 25-22 win to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth and final frame, the Tigers showed their resilience. Tied at 4-4, Cobleskill went on a crucial 5-0 run fueled by kills from Gasner and Jager to seize control. The Tigers never looked back, stretching their lead to 14-9 before Gasner closed out the match with a kill off a perfect set from Ward, giving Cobleskill the 15-11 set and the 3-2 victory.
Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Wednesday, November 5, when they host SUNY Morrisville and Castleton University for a non-conference tri-match beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Iorio Gymnasium.
