Cortland, N.Y. – The SUNY Cobleskill women's volleyball team went up against tough competition on Saturday at the SUNY Cortland Tri-Match, falling in straight sets to host Cortland and in a hard-fought three-set match to Muhlenberg College inside Whitney T. Corey Gym.

Match One: Cortland 3, Cobleskill 0
The Tigers opened the day against regional power Cortland, dropping the match 11-25, 9-25, 19-25.

Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn.) paced Cobleskill with six kills, seven digs, two assists, and an ace. Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo.) chipped in two kills, four digs, an assist, and an ace. Setter Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) finished with six assists, three kills, and four digs, while freshman Audrey Davis (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) added three kills.

Cortland controlled the stat sheet with a 34–14 edge in kills and a 14–3 advantage in aces. The Red Dragons also held the upper hand in blocks (7–0) and digs (32–23).

In the opening set, Cortland jumped out quickly before Jade Ward (Miami, Fla.) delivered an ace to cut the deficit to 6-4. The Red Dragons answered with an 8-1 run that built a double-digit lead, and despite a late push by the Tigers, the hosts closed the frame 25-11. Set two was all Cortland, as Hinze notched an early ace to make it 4-3 before the Red Dragons rattled off 14 unanswered points on their way to a 25-9 win. The third set saw Cobleskill's best stretch of play, as Davis and Smart put down key kills to help the Tigers build a 16-11 lead. Cortland clawed back to tie the score at 19-19 and then used a 6-0 finishing run to seal the sweep.

Match Two: Muhlenberg 3, Cobleskill 0
The Tigers rebounded with a gritty performance against Muhlenberg, battling in the first two sets before falling 22-25, 24-26, 8-25.

Hallie Gasner (Middleburgh, N.Y.) led the attack with seven kills, while Kirschberg turned in a strong all-around match with nine assists, 10 digs, three kills, and two aces. Setter Jade Ward (Miami, Fla.) added nine assists and three digs, while Hinze posted five kills, eight digs, and four blocks at the net. Smart contributed three kills and seven digs, and Davis added four kills and two digs.

Cobleskill's serve game kept them in it, as the Tigers recorded a 10–5 edge in aces and a 5–2 advantage in blocks. Muhlenberg, however, held the advantage in kills (47–23), assists (44–23), and digs (61–43).

The opening set was tightly contested, with Hinze sparking a rally that tied the score at 11-11. Kirschberg followed with back-to-back aces to give the Tigers a 15-12 lead, but the Mules answered with a run of their own to go up 19-15. Cobleskill fought off two set points to make it 24-22, but Muhlenberg secured the final point for the 25-22 win. The second set was even more dramatic, as Cobleskill used a 7-1 stretch—highlighted by kills from Gasner and Davis—to push ahead 23-17. The Mules mounted a furious comeback, tying the score at 24-24 before closing with two straight points to steal the set 26-24. Muhlenberg carried the momentum into the third, racing out to a 12-1 run and never looking back in a 25-8 finish.

Up Next
The Tigers return home to open North Atlantic Conference play on Friday, October 3, when they host Thomas College at 6 p.m. inside Iorio Gymnasium.