Canton, NY: The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team wrapped up play at the North Country Classic hosted by SUNY Canton on Saturday, dropping a four-set match to Hilbert College and a three-set battle with the host Kangaroos.

Game One: Hilbert 3, Cobleskill 1
The Fighting Tigers opened the day against Hilbert and fell 3-1 (17-25, 9-25, 25-15, 23-25) in a match that featured plenty of momentum swings.

Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo) led the way for Cobleskill with eight kills, three blocks, and 11 digs, while Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, NY) set the tone offensively with 17 assists and five digs. Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn)  anchored the back row with a match-high 19 digs and added three aces. Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, NY) chipped in six kills and three aces, and libero Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md) collected 11 digs.

Statistically, Hilbert outpaced Cobleskill in kills (50-27), assists (44-24), digs (71-65), and blocks (5-4), while both sides finished with 10 aces apiece.

The opening set was tight early, tied at 6-6, before Hilbert pieced together two separate runs to build a 20-11 lead. Cobleskill pulled back within striking distance on late kills from Gasner and Hinze, but Hilbert closed it out 25-17. The Hawks carried momentum into the second set, racing out to a 14-2 advantage that the Tigers couldn't recover from, dropping the frame 25-9.

Cobleskill responded in the third set with their sharpest play of the match. Fueled by a 5-0 burst capped by a Jade Ward (Miami, FL)  ace and an Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, NY) kill, the Tigers surged to a 10-4 lead. They later went on a 4-0 run, capped by a Gasner kill, to build a 21-13 cushion before taking the set 25-15. The fourth set proved to be a back-and-forth battle, with Cobleskill trailing 16-14 midway through but storming ahead 23-22 after three consecutive Gasner service aces. Hilbert, however, steadied and claimed the final three points to win the set 25-23 and close out the match.

Game Two: Canton 3, Cobleskill 0
Cobleskill closed the day against host SUNY Canton, dropping a straight-set match (22-25, 26-28, 19-25).

Smart turned in another strong all-around effort, finishing with nine kills and nine digs. Davis added seven kills and three digs, while Hinze recorded five kills and six digs. The Tigers' setting duties were balanced, with Kirschberg handing out 12 assists and Ward adding 11. Haycock provided steady play in the back row with seven digs.

Canton used their balanced attack to produce 45 kills to Cobleskill's 27, with a 42-25 advantage in assists. The Tigers' serving was a bright spot as they finished with six aces compared to Canton's five. Defensively, the Roos edged Cobleskill in digs, 42-36.

The first set featured long rallies and momentum swings. After Hinze notched a kill to tie the score at 12-12, Canton surged with a 5-0 run to take an 18-13 lead. Cobleskill clawed back to tie it at 19-19, but Canton won six of the final nine points to secure the set 25-22.

The second set was the Tigers' best chance to flip the match. Cobleskill built a 12-7 lead early behind a Haycock kill and ace, but Canton answered with a 9-1 stretch to go up 18-14. The Tigers continued to rally, tying the set at 22-22, then again at 24-24 on a Smart kill. Cobleskill earned a set point at 25-24, but Canton responded with four of the last five points to win a dramatic 28-26 frame.

The third set saw Canton jump out quickly, leading 12-3. Cobleskill trimmed the deficit to three at 17-14 with consecutive kills from Hinze and Smart, but the Roos regrouped and used a late push to seal the match 25-19.

Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Wednesday, September 17, traveling to Russell Sage for a non-conference match at 6:00 p.m.