Morrisville, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly women's volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Saturday, falling 3–1 to Morrisville in the opening match before being swept 3–0 by Alfred State in the nightcap. The Wildcats battled throughout both contests, including a late comeback attempt in the third set against Morrisville and a back-and-forth opening set against Alfred State.
GAME ONE: SUNY Poly vs Morrisville
Morrisville jumped out to an early lead in the opening set, using a combination of serving pressure and Poly miscues to build an 8–4 advantage. The Wildcats answered with kills from Kara Stephens and Mylee Magnanti, while Olivia Linart and Camryn Clark helped Poly stay within striking distance. Morrisville continued to create separation behind Isabelle Eskierka and Samantha Siedlecki, however, using a late serving run to extend its lead. Poly received a late spark from Clark and Linart, but Morrisville closed out the first set 25–16.
The second set remained competitive early, with Poly trading points with Morrisville behind kills from Eskierka, Stephens and Clark. Teagan Hopkins and Maggie Call also contributed offensively as the Wildcats worked to stay within reach. Morrisville gradually pulled away in the middle portion of the frame, with Eskierka and Alexa Warner producing key kills and the visitors benefiting from another stretch of strong serving. Poly mounted a late push, as Stephens and Magnanti delivered points and Call added a service ace, but Morrisville held on for a 25–21 victory to take a 2–0 match lead.
The Wildcats responded with their strongest effort of the match in the third set. After Morrisville opened with an early advantage, Poly battled back behind kills from Stephens, Magnanti and Southwick. Morrisville appeared to seize control with a dominant serving stretch from Eskierka, who recorded multiple aces as the visitors opened a 13–5 lead. Poly refused to go quietly, mounting a furious comeback behind Hopkins and Southwick. McCourt added a pair of aces during a key run, while Southwick followed with two more service aces to help the Wildcats pull even at 19–19. The teams traded points late before Poly took control, with a service ace from Southwick and a kill from Clark helping the Wildcats close out a thrilling 25–23 victory and force a fourth set.
Morrisville answered immediately in the fourth, opening the frame with a 3–0 lead before Poly rallied behind Southwick and Clark. Linart sparked the Wildcats with back-to-back service aces to give Poly an 8–8 tie, and Eichorst followed with an ace as the Wildcats briefly moved in front. Morrisville responded with its decisive run, however, as Kylie Hutchinson served through a prolonged stretch that produced a combination of aces, kills and Poly errors. The Wildcats were unable to regain momentum, and Morrisville finished the set on a 14–0 run to secure a 25–14 victory and close out the match 3–1.
GAME TWO: SUNY Poly vs Alfred State
The Wildcats opened the nightcap in a tightly contested first set, trading points with Alfred State throughout the early stages. Clark, McCourt and Southwick provided offensive production for Poly, while Alfred State answered behind Gloria Stem, Erin Gregoire and Izzy Carew. McCourt helped the Wildcats establish an 8–8 tie before Poly built a small cushion midway through the frame, taking a 19–16 lead after a series of Alfred State errors. The Pioneers battled back late, using Stem's serving and attacking to erase the deficit and eventually force extra points. After Poly tied the set at 25–25, Alfred State scored the final two points to take a dramatic 27–25 victory.
Poly came out aggressively in the second set, racing to a 4–0 lead behind Hopkins and strong serving pressure. Alfred State quickly responded, however, as Caley Larsen sparked a major run from the service line that turned a 5–2 deficit into an 8–6 Pioneer advantage. The Wildcats answered with a run of their own, as Southwick delivered a kill and service ace while Linart and Eichorst each added aces to push Poly ahead 16–11. Alfred State again flipped the momentum late, with Larsen, Stem and Gregoire leading a 14–3 closing run. The Pioneers pulled away to a 25–19 victory and took a 2–0 match lead.
Alfred State carried its momentum into the third set, opening with an early 5–2 advantage before Larsen and Stem helped stretch the lead. The Wildcats continued to fight, with Clark, McCourt and Call contributing kills and Call adding a service ace to help Poly pull within striking distance. Alfred State, however, answered each challenge with timely offense from Carew, Gregoire and Stem and used another strong serving stretch to build a 23–12 lead. Poly mounted a late push behind McCourt and Eichorst, with Eichorst recording a kill and a service ace to bring the Wildcats within seven. Alfred State ultimately closed out the set 25–17 to complete the 3–0 sweep.
