Canton, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team picked up their first victory of the season with a 3-1 (25-12, 22-25, 26-24, 25-20) win over VTSU-Johnson on Friday night in their opening match of the North Country Classic, hosted at SUNY Canton.

Junior outside hitter Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn.) put together an all-around performance, leading the Tigers with a match-high 22 digs while adding nine kills, four aces, and half a block. At the net, junior Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo.) made her presence felt with a match-high 3.5 blocks to go with five kills, five digs, and two aces. Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) sparked the offense with a team-high 10 kills, three aces, and half a block. Setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) directed the attack with a season-high 15 assists along with 12 digs, while senior Jade Ward (Miami, Fla.) added seven assists. First-years Kayleigh Capasso (Ballston Spa, NY) and Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, NY) chipped in four kills apiece, with Davis leading the team in hitting percentage at .364.

The Tigers held the edge in several key categories, finishing with more kills (35-33), a higher hitting percentage (.069 to .008), more assists (31-26), and more aces (13-11). Defensively, Cobleskill stood tall at the net, recording 12 block assists and one solo block to go along with 62 digs.

In the opening set, Cobleskill set the tone early with a 4-1 start after a Smart kill. The Tigers dominated the frame, building a 15-5 cushion behind kills from Capasso and Smart and an ace from Gasner. Smart's third kill of the set stretched the lead to 19-11 before back-to-back kills from Gasner and Hinze sealed a commanding 25-12 win.

The second set saw Johnson push back, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. The Tigers clawed their way back, with a Smart service ace pulling them within one at 15-14. Hinze's big block cut the deficit to 23-21, but the Badgers held off the late rally to even the match with a 25-22 win.

The third set turned into a seesaw battle. Johnson surged ahead 12-6 before Cobleskill chipped away behind a kill from Maya Cardenas-Powell (Portland, OR) assisted by Smart, and another Smart ace to close the gap to 13-11. Johnson responded with a run to go up 17-11, but Cobleskill battled back to tie it at 23-23. Ward delivered a kill to keep the Tigers alive at 24-24, and Kirschberg set up Hinze for a thunderous kill to close out the set 26-24.

In the fourth, the Tigers trailed 20-19 before taking control with six straight points to close the match. Smart fired in two aces during the decisive run, while Gasner slammed down two kills, including the match-winner off a set from Kirschberg, to clinch the 25-20 victory and Cobleskill's first win of the season.

Up Next:
The Tigers return to action tomorrow, September 13, with a 1:00 p.m. match against Hilbert College followed by a 3:00 p.m. contest against SUNY Canton.

*Game Note: This match doesn't count as a NAC contest.