Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team delivered a commanding performance on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Lesley University in straight sets (25-13, 25-16, 25-18) to secure their first North Atlantic Conference win of the season inside Iorio Gymnasium.

The Tigers controlled the pace from start to finish, fueled by a strong serving effort and balanced attack. Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) led the way with 13 assists, seven aces, five kills, and three digs, while Emma Hinze (Altenburg, MO) posted nine kills, 12 digs, and five aces while hitting .538. Jade Ward (Miami, FL) set the tone offensively with a match-high 17 assists, and Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) was efficient at the net, tallying eight kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, NY) added five kills, and Jojo Haycock (Bowie, MD) anchored the defense with eight digs.

Cobleskill controlled every major statistical category. The Tigers held a commanding 35-16 advantage in kills. They moved the ball efficiently with 34 assists to Lesley's 15. On defense, Cobleskill held the upper hand with 33 to 26 digs over the Lynx's. From the service line, the Tigers were dominant, recording a season high 18 aces to Lesley's five. The Tigers offense was clicking on all cylinders as they posted a season high .231 hitting percentage.

The opening set saw Cobleskill race out to an early lead, fueled by sharp serving and aggressive net play. Back-to-back aces from Jade Ward set the tone before four straight from Emma Hinze extended the advantage to 11-3. The Tigers stayed in control behind steady passing and quick ball movement, as a pair of kills from Hallie Gasner- both set up by Baylee Kirschberg - stretched the lead to 17-7. Cobleskill continued to roll, and with the set on the line, Jojo Haycock sealed it with an ace to secure the 25-10 first-set victory.

Lesley responded early in the second, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Cobleskill quickly regrouped. Kirschberg's back-to-back aces ignited an 8-1 run that flipped the momentum in favor of the Tigers. Strong swings from the front row kept the pressure on, including a key kill from Kaleigh Capasso (Ballston Spa, NY) to make it 17-13. As the Tigers pulled ahead, a well-placed swing from Jillian Kern (Lake Placid, NY) pushed them to set point, and another powerful finish from Gasner closed it out for a 25-17 win and a commanding 2-0 match lead.

In the third set, the Tigers continued to dominate from the service line, with Hinze and Kirschberg combining for five aces to build a 12-7 lead. Their balanced attack kept Lesley scrambling, highlighted by a strong block from Hinze that pushed the advantage to 16-9. The Lynx managed to close the gap to 19-16, but Cobleskill never lost focus. Kirschberg answered again with two straight aces, and with the crowd behind them, the Tigers sealed the sweep on a clean kill from Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, NY), assisted by Aidan Simister (Manchester, NH), to take the set 25-17 and the match 3-0.

Up Next:
The Tigers return to action on Tuesday, October 7, when they host the Pioneers of Utica University at 7:00 p.m. in the Iorio Gymnasium.