Potsdam, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's volleyball team split their afternoon at the Potsdam tri-match, earning a 3-0 victory over Carlow University before falling 3-2 to the host SUNY Potsdam Bears. The split leaves the Wildcats with a 17-11 record on the season.
GAME ONE: SUNY Poly vs. Carlow
The Wildcats came out strong in the first match of the day, taking advantage of Carlow's early miscues. A series of attack errors, including several misfires, handed SUNY Poly an early lead. Aiden Passmore played a key role, contributing multiple service aces and kills, which helped extend the lead to 9-1. Carlow continued to struggle with rhythm, and despite a few strong plays, the Wildcats maintained control. A final kill from Derek Gottler secured the first set 25-9 in favor of SUNY Poly.
In the second set, Carlow tried to bounce back, but their inconsistency, including continued service errors, allowed the Wildcats to keep control. Passmore and Gottler dominated at the net, with Passmore's kills and a timely ace pushing SUNY Poly ahead. Carlow showed brief signs of life with some kills and strong blocks, but SUNY Poly's dominance on both offense and serve proved too much. The Wildcats claimed the second set 25-12 to go up 2-0 in the match.
In the third set, SUNY Poly remained relentless. Carlow's errors compounded, and strong performances from Passmore and Brendan Palmer propelled the Wildcats to a commanding 12-2 lead. Despite a few positive moments from Carlow, SUNY Poly maintained control with key kills from Passmore and Forest Chaput. Carlow's attempts to mount a comeback faltered, and the Wildcats sealed the set 25-12, completing the sweep and securing the match win.
GAME TWO: SUNY Poly vs. SUNY Potsdam
The match against SUNY Potsdam began with the Bears setting the tone early in the first set. Despite an early attack error from Matt Kilinski, Potsdam quickly found their rhythm with a quick kill. The set featured strong offensive plays from both sides, but the Wildcats capitalized on key mistakes from the Bears. With contributions from Matt Kilinski, Duncan Tenhagen, and Alex Lombardo, Potsdam built a solid lead. However, behind strong performances from Kaiden Ranger and Peter Gottler, the Wildcats fought back to win the set 31-29.
The second set saw SUNY Poly attempt to build on their momentum. A service ace from Corey Hollingsworth and key kills from multiple Wildcats helped the team stay ahead. Peter Gottler's consistent offensive production and the Wildcats' well-rounded play proved too much for the Bears, despite brief spurts of success from SUNY Potsdam. A balanced attack and smart defense allowed SUNY Poly to seal the set 25-21.
SUNY Poly looked to clinch the match in the third set, pulling ahead early with strong kills from Hollingsworth. However, Potsdam responded well, led by Tenhagen, and managed to edge out a 25-23 victory, holding off the Wildcats' late rally.
The fourth set saw the Bears seize control early with strong service aces and key attack errors from SUNY Poly. Potsdam extended their lead to 7-3, aided by a block and a service ace from Tenhagen. Poly mounted a comeback with kills from Brendan Palmer and Andrew Baaki, cutting the lead to 11-10. However, Potsdam's offensive surge, featuring kills from Tenhagen and Wong, pushed the Bears' lead to 15-11. Although Poly made another push, Potsdam extended their lead to 20-16 and ultimately closed out the set 25-18 with a kill from Kilinski to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, both teams traded points early, with Potsdam taking a 3-2 lead. SUNY Poly quickly responded with back-to-back kills from Adam Brawn and Charlie Cherchio, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 advantage. As the set progressed, the teams continued exchanging points. Duncan Tenhagen added a kill to give Potsdam a 6-5 lead, but the Wildcats kept it close, pulling back to a 6-6 tie. A service error from Peter Gottler gave Potsdam a slight 8-7 lead, which the Bears extended to 9-7 with another kill. The two teams traded points, including a kill from Kilinski and a bad set from Palmer, until the Bears strung two points together to finish off the match, completing the reverse sweep with a 21-19 victory in the fifth set.
