SCHENECTADY, N.Y.--The SUNY Oneonta volleyball team is in the midst of its longest winning since the 2002 season and off to an 11-2 start overall after cleaning through the Union Invitational with a perfect 4-0 mark. The Red Dragons have won eight straight matches for the first time since that season when they won the SUNYAC title and qualified for the NCAA tournament.
Its closest match was Friday night versus Skidmore, which went five sets before the Red Dragons pulled it out, 18-16 in the fifth set. Oneonta's other three matches this weekend were 3-0 sweeps versus Sage, Hartwick and Utica.
In its opening match of the tournament against Sage, Oneonta won the first set 27-25 before taking the final two sets, 25-9 and 25-15.
Senior
Kacy Boburka (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) led Oneonta with 11 kills and three service aces. In addition,
Erica Darpino (Endicott/Union-Endicott) and
Brittany Calvello (Gloversville/Broadalbin-Perth) had 11 kills and six kills, respectively.
Against Skidmore, both teams battled hard in the first set before the Red Dragons pulled out a 25-23 win. In the second set, Skidmore led by as many as 10 points before Oneonta cut the lead to seven points. That would be as close as the Red Dragons would get as the Thoroughbreds went on to take the set, 25-19. Skidmore would capture the third set 25-17.
In the fourth set, both teams battled closely as each team exchanged the lead multiple times. After the score was deadlocked at 20-20, the Red Dragons kept up the attack en route to a 25-22 win.
The Thoroughbreds opened up a 5-0 lead in the fifth set and still lead at the switch 8-3. Oneonta battled back to cut Skidmore's lead to 10-8 when the Thoroughbred's called a timeout. Oneonta knotted the score at 14 apiece and, with the score deadlocked at 16-16, junior
Katie Sheehan (Bellmore/John F. Kennedy) served out the final two points for Oneonta as they completed the come from behind victory 18-16.
Boburka led Oneonta with 15 kills followed by Calvello and Darpino with 13 and 11 respectively. Calvello led the passing with 27 assists while
Kristina Pelaccio (Verplanck/Hendrick Hudson) had 18 digs in the winning effort.
In today's matches, Oneonta swept through both Utica and Hartwick College.
Darpino led Oneonta with seven kills and served one ace. Sheehan and Calvello had nine digs each to lead the defense.
Against Hartwick, Boburka had eight kills and Pelaccio had 10 digs to lead the Red Dragons.
The Red Dragons will travel to SUNY Cortland next weekend for the first of two SUNYAC East Pool Play events. Oneonta will play SUNY Potsdam in its opening match Friday beginning at 3pm.
