UTICA, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly women's volleyball team split its Saturday tri-match, earning a 3–0 sweep over Keuka before falling in straight sets to St. Lawrence. The split has the Wildcats end their season with a record of 8-17 (2-9 Empire 8)
GAME ONE: SUNY Poly vs Keuka
SUNY Poly came out firing to open the match, jumping to an early 7–1 lead thanks to sharp execution and aggressive serving. Aluisio and Cruz each tallied a pair of early kills off assists from Southwick, while DeCarr delivered back-to-back service aces that energized the home crowd.
Keuka managed to pull even midway through the set, capitalizing on a short Poly error stretch to make it 8–8, but the Wildcats quickly regrouped. Abby Newell sparked the turnaround with two aces of her own and a strong kill from the right side to push the lead back to 15–10. From there, the Wildcats' offense found its rhythm.
Cruz and Aluisio continued to pace the attack, while Southwick added a service ace and Catherine McCourt sealed the frame with a clutch ace of her own to secure the 25–18 opening-set victory.
The second set proved to be a battle from start to finish. SUNY Poly built an early 3–0 advantage behind Aluisio's steady serving and a pair of kills from DeCarr, but Keuka answered with a 6–1 run fueled by Nina Scott and Rosslan Force to claim a brief lead.
Midway through the set, the Wildcats regained control thanks to consistent setting from Southwick and timely swings by Cruz, Newell, and Erica Mumbulo. Aluisio added two service aces and a series of kills that gave Poly a 22–20 edge late.
Keuka fought off multiple set points, tying the score at 27–27 after a long rally, but the Wildcats showed resilience down the stretch. A kill from Samantha Dee followed by a perfectly placed swing from Cruz closed the door as Poly took the marathon set 29–27.
Keuka battled back to within one at 15–14, but Samantha Dee delivered a key service run that included an ace and several forced errors to extend the Wildcat lead to 21–19. Newell and Aluisio then put the finishing touches on the match, each recording late kills to push SUNY Poly across the finish line with a 25–22 set win and a clean 3–0 sweep.
GAME TWO: SUNY Poly vs St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence came out firing to start the match, jumping out to a 5–0 lead behind a service run from Maggie Layman and strong front-row play from Adeline Riesenberger and Araiza Acum-Santos. SUNY Poly battled back with kills from Daniella Aluisio and Kylee DeCarr, and setter Grace Southwick began to find her rhythm distributing the offense.
Midway through the set, Catherine McCourt provided a spark off the bench with an ace and a well-placed kill from the right side, while Southwick added a service ace to cut the deficit to 21–15. Abby Newell chipped in a pair of late kills as the Wildcats tried to close the gap, but the Saints' steady attack proved too much as they took the opening frame, 25–16.
The Wildcats regrouped and came out stronger in the second set, trading points early with St. Lawrence. Aluisio found success on the outside with a pair of early kills, while freshman setter Teagan Hopkins guided the offense with confidence. SUNY Poly briefly pulled ahead 6–5 after back-to-back service aces from Samantha Dee, and a steady defensive effort from Erica Mumbulo helped keep the set close.
St. Lawrence answered with a 5–0 run fueled by aggressive serving from Vanessa Latam and several key kills by Bridget Gammons. The Wildcats continued to battle, with Cruz and Newell putting down consecutive kills to keep Poly within reach at 19–17. However, the Saints closed strong with a string of kills from Gammons and Riesenberger to take the second set, 25–19.
SUNY Poly opened the third set with energy as Hopkins served an ace on the opening point and continued to push the tempo offensively. Cruz, Newell, and DeCarr each recorded early kills to give the Wildcats a brief 8–5 advantage.
St. Lawrence responded with a run of their own, capitalizing on Poly miscues and sharp swings from Acum-Santos to regain control. Despite strong efforts from Aluisio and Cruz on the outside, the Saints maintained their momentum, stretching the lead late in the frame.
Newell added another kill and McCourt continued to bring energy from the service line, but St. Lawrence's front row closed the door with back-to-back points to take the final set 25–18 and seal the match victory.
