Cobleskill, NY: The Fighting Tigers women's volleyball team fell in their season opener to MCLA in straight sets 3-0 (22-25, 26-28, 14-25) on Wednesday night in the Iorio Gymnasium.

Junior Kathleen Smart (Nashville, Tenn) led the way for Cobleskill with a strong all-around performance, finishing with 10 digs, nine kills, and three service aces for 11 points. Fellow junior Emma Hinze (Altenburg, Mo) added nine kills and six digs for 11 points, while libero Jojo Haycock (Bowie, Md) anchored the back row with 10 digs. The Tigers' setting tandem of Jade Ward (Miami, Fla) and Baylee Kirschberg (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) combined for 23 assists on the night, with Kirschberg dishing out 12 and Ward 11.

The Trailblazers held the upper hand offensively, tallying 41 kills compared to Cobleskill's 29, and out-assisting the Tigers 39-28. Both teams kept the pressure on from the service line, with MCLA recording eight aces and Cobleskill right behind with seven. Defensively, the Tigers edged the Trailblazers in digs, 43-41.

In the opening set, the Tigers came out swinging, jumping to a 9-5 lead behind a Smart kill and back-to-back MCLA errors. The Trailblazers answered with a 5-0 run to flip the score 14-12. After trading points, Cobleskill pulled within two at 22-24 following a 3-0 push capped by a Kirschberg ace, but MCLA managed to close it out, 25-22.

The second set turned into a back-and-forth battle. Cobleskill grabbed a 9-6 edge on a Smart ace, but MCLA answered with four straight points to retake the lead. The Tigers responded with an 8-4 surge to go up 17-14, forcing MCLA to regroup. Down the stretch, Cobleskill held set point at 24-23 after a kill from Ciarra Jager (Stephentown, N.Y.), but MCLA rallied and pulled out the set in extra points, 28-26.

The Trailblazers carried that momentum into the third set, using a decisive 7-0 run to break the frame open at 17-7. Cobleskill couldn't recover as MCLA controlled the pace and closed the match with a 25-14 win.

Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Tuesday, September 9, when they travel to SUNY Poly for a non-conference matchup starting at 7:00 p.m. in Utica, N.Y.