Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly women's volleyball team battled through a tough tri-match at Bard College on Friday, taking a set off the hosts before falling 3–1 and later dropping a hard-fought 3–0 decision to Emmanuel College. The Wildcats are now 4-5 on the season.
GAME ONE: SUNY Poly vs Bard
The opening set was tightly contested, with SUNY Poly gaining momentum behind Jade Taylor's early service ace and a flurry of points from setter Grace Southwick, who tallied four straight aces to put the Wildcats in front. Abby Newell and Daniella Aluisio added key kills to maintain the edge late, but Bard answered with a late surge, stringing together consecutive kills and aces to erase the deficit and steal the frame, 25–23.
Bard carried its momentum into the second set, capitalizing on Wildcat miscues while building an early cushion. Though Aluisio delivered timely kills and Taylor contributed another ace, the Raptors' aggressive serving stretched the lead. SUNY Poly's attack found moments of rhythm, with Cruz adding kills at the net, but Bard closed strong to claim a 25–17 win and a 2–0 lead.
The Wildcats battled back in the third set, showing resilience after dropping the first two frames. DeCarr opened with an ace and Aluisio sparked the offense with a series of kills, while Cruz chipped in to keep Poly out in front. Southwick's serving again gave the Wildcats momentum, and McCourt delivered a clutch ace late to give Poly separation. A final kill from Aluisio sealed the 25–23 win, keeping the Wildcats alive in the match.
The fourth set was another back-and-forth affair, with Southwick starting things off with a service ace and Taylor, Cruz, and DeCarr adding kills to match Bard point for point. Aluisio continued her strong night at the net, but the Raptors responded down the stretch with another late run. Despite a push from the Wildcats to cut the deficit, Bard closed out the frame 25–21 to take the match, 3–1.
GAME TWO: SUNY Poly vs Emmanuel College
The opening set started with SUNY Poly trading points behind early kills from Abby Newell and Daniella Aluisio, with setter Grace Southwick spreading the ball effectively. Kylee DeCarr and Kassity Cruz chipped in with strong swings to keep the Wildcats within reach. Jade Taylor and Aluisio added kills in the middle stages, and Southwick continued to provide steady serving, but Emmanuel's late surge with back-to-back service aces and kills pushed them ahead for a 25–14 win.
In the second frame, SUNY Poly again found some offensive rhythm, as DeCarr delivered an early service ace and Cruz and Alusio contributed kills. Aluisio added another ace midway through. However, Emmanuel capitalized on a string of Wildcat errors and produced a late run of kills and aces to stretch their lead. Despite Dee's kill to stave off set point, the Saints sealed the frame 25–13.
The Wildcats showed resilience in the third set, with Dee sparking the effort from the service line and Taylor providing a key ace to keep momentum alive.Teagan Hopkins added a late kill, and DeCarr dropped in another ace to narrow the gap. SUNY Poly pushed to 24–17, but Emmanuel closed out the match with a 25–17 win in the final set.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will hit the road for a week night matchup with the SUNY Delhi Broncos on September 16th at 7:00 P.M.
