UTICA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly women's volleyball team earned a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Elmira College on Friday night, showing poise and resilience throughout a tightly contested Empire 8 matchup. Behind the strong all-around play of Daniella Aluisio, Kassity Cruz, and Abby Newell, the Wildcats took control of key moments to secure the win with set scores of 27–25, 19–25, 26–24, and 26–24.
SUNY Poly came out swinging in the opening frame, using a quick start from Daniella Aluisio and Kylee DeCarr to jump ahead 5–2. Setter Grace Southwick orchestrated the offense early, dishing out assists to Aluisio and Cruz as the Wildcats built momentum. Elmira battled back to even the score at 10–10, taking advantage of a brief Poly miscue stretch. From there, the teams traded blows in a back-and-forth duel.
Down the stretch, Cruz delivered several clutch kills on the outside, while Samantha Dee gave the Wildcats a spark from the service line with back-to-back aces to put Poly up 23–21. After Elmira fought off set points, Newell buried a key kill to extend the frame. Moments later, Cruz hammered home the go-ahead kill and Aluisio capped the comeback with a service ace to seal the 27–25 victory.
The second set saw Elmira respond with renewed energy. SUNY Poly stayed competitive early thanks to strong swings from Cruz and Aluisio, along with a steady defensive effort from Erica Mumbulo at the net. Midway through the set, Elmira's offense found its rhythm, using a 7–1 run to grab control.
Despite kills from DeCarr, Newell, and Southwick, the Wildcats couldn't regain the momentum as Elmira capitalized on late Poly errors to close the frame, 25–19, evening the match at one set apiece.
The third set was another tightly contested battle with both teams trading leads throughout. Early on, Aluisio and Newell sparked the Wildcats with key kills, while Mumbulo added a pair of blocks that helped Poly stay even at 9–9. A service run by Aluisio and timely attacking from Cruz extended the Wildcats' lead to 18–14.
Elmira once again clawed back, tying the score at 23–23, but Newell came through in the clutch, finishing the set with consecutive kills to give SUNY Poly a 26–24 edge and a 2–1 match lead.
The Wildcats carried their confidence into the fourth set, jumping ahead early behind strong swings from Cruz, DeCarr, and Aluisio. Southwick continued to set the tone, spreading the offense to keep Elmira's defense off balance. Midway through the frame, Catherine McCourt delivered a big service ace and a key block that helped the Wildcats build a 16–10 cushion.
Elmira mounted one last rally, cutting the deficit to 24–24 after several late kills by the Soaring Eagles' front line. However, Newell once again proved clutch, slamming home back-to-back kills to end the match and secure the 26–24 victory.
