Oneonta, N.Y. – The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team competed in a tri-match at Hartwick College on Saturday, dropping matches to host Hartwick College and nationally respected Clarkson University at Lambros Arena.

Game One: Hartwick 3, Cobleskill 0
Cobleskill opened the day against Hartwick, falling in straight sets to the Hawks (11-25, 18-25, 20-25).

Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn.) led the Tigers at the net with six kills while adding four service aces, nine digs, and a block assist. Junior setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) directed the offense with 15 assists and chipped in four digs. Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, N.Y.) posted six kills and two aces, while Kaleigh Capasso (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) finished with four kills. Libero Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md.) anchored the back row with nine digs, and Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo.) added three kills.

Statistically, Hartwick controlled the match with a 35–20 advantage in kills and a .270 hitting percentage, compared to the Tigers' .025. The Hawks also held a 34–20 edge in assists, while digs were nearly even, 37–33.

Hartwick jumped out early in the first set with a 7-0 run that forced Cobleskill into catch-up mode. The Tigers showed flashes of momentum, highlighted by a block from Smart and Capasso, but the Hawks finished strong with four straight points to take it 25-11. In the second set, Cobleskill found some rhythm offensively as Smart, Hinze, and Capasso strung together consecutive kills to cut the deficit to 10-7. A serving run from Gasner later trimmed the margin again, but Hartwick's consistent side-out play carried them to a 25-18 win. The third set saw Cobleskill play their most competitive volleyball of the match, grabbing an 8-6 lead after a Capasso kill. Smart kept the Tigers alive with three straight aces during a mid-set rally that closed the gap to 18-16, but Hartwick used their balance at the net to finish the frame 25-20 and secure the sweep.

Game Two: Clarkson 3, Cobleskill 0
In their second match, the Tigers faced a tough test against Clarkson, falling 14-25, 14-25, 8-25.

Gasner paced the offense with five kills and four digs, while Kirschberg tallied eight digs, three kills, and four assists. Smart added four kills and five digs, and Hinze finished with three kills and six digs.

Clarkson held a commanding 38–18 edge in kills and 33–16 in assists, while also winning the back-row battle with a 46–35 advantage in digs.

Cobleskill opened the first set with energy, scoring three of the first four points capped by a Gasner kill. The Golden Knights answered quickly with a series of runs, including a 6-0 stretch late, to pull away 25-14. The Tigers kept fighting in set two, with kills from Gasner and Smart helping narrow the gap to 9-7, and later a Ward kill bringing them within 18-12. Clarkson, however, strung together another late run to close out the set 25-14. In the third, the Golden Knights established control early with an 11-3 lead, and though Hinze's kill stopped the run temporarily, Clarkson's offense proved too much as they used an 11-0 finishing stretch to seal the match 25-8.

Up Next
The Tigers return to action on Saturday, September 27, when they travel to SUNY Cortland for a tri-match against Cortland and Muhlenberg.