NORTHAMPTON, MA - The Oneonta women's volleyball team went 1-1 on Saturday at the Smith College tri-match. The Red Dragons were swept 3-0 in the opening match to Smith but rebounded with a 3-0 victory over Worcester State in the second contest. Oneonta now moves to 7-10 overall this season. 

The Red Dragons struggled against the Pioneers, falling 25-14, 25-18, and 25-16. After taking the first two points in the opening set, Smith rattled off nine straight points before an error cut the streak. The Pioneers responded with a 6-0 run before Clara Culeton (Oswego, NY/Oswego) knocked in a kill to make it 15-4. A block from Ashanti Davis (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) and Colleen McCabe (Rockville Centre, NY/Oceanside) and then a solo block by McCabe cut the lead to nine, but Smith used three consecutive points to claim the set. 

Smith took a 9-1 lead in the second before a 3-0 Oneonta span with kills by Caitlin Christie (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) and McCabe made it 9-4. The Red Dragons chipped away with another McCabe kill and a few Smith errors cutting the lead to 16-14. Another Christie kill and two Pioneers' errors made it a one-point set. Smith then went on to take seven of the following eight points to go up 2-0. 

After falling behind 8-3, Annalisa Alicea (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) used two aces to lessen the lead to two. Gianna May (Baldwinsville, NY/Baldwinsville) followed up with a kill to make it 8-7. Some more strong runs by the Pioneers built the lead up to 18-11, and Oneonta could not recover. 

The Red Dragons bounced back by defeating the Lancers (3-16) 25-20, 25-14, and 25-16. After Worcester tied 5-5, Oneonta used a 4-0 comprised of kills by Davis and Casey Biggers (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East) with an Anna Moller (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach Senior) ace to go ahead 9-5. The Lancers kept it close, but three kills from Biggers and two aces by Alicea put the Red Dragons up 14-8. Oneonta built up to a 24-16 lead before a short Lancers' run made it a four-point set. Culeton then sent in the final kill to make it 1-0. 

The second set started similarly to the first as Worcester tied 6-6. Oneonta took eight of the following nine points, with Culeton, May, and Kayla Rende (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) tallying kills. Two consecutive kills from McCabe and then a Lancers' error made it 20-9. Oneonta held a comfortable lead as Biggers recorded the set-winning kill. 

The Red Dragons jumped out to a 5-0 third-set lead. Worcester cut into the lead to make it 7-5, but Oneonta followed up with a 6-0 span with two Moller service aces. After some back-and-forth runs, it stood at 16-14. Rende sent in a kill to start a 5-1 span before Worcester broke the streak. The Red Dragons closed out on a 4-0 run capped off with a Biggers' ace to complete the sweep. 

Bigger led the team with 11 kills on .400 hitting and added a team-high 13 digs. Culeton tallied seven kills on .462 hitting and also recorded two blocks. Rende led the team with 26 assists. Alicea sent in four aces, while Moller had three. 

Oneonta next plays at SUNY Delhi on Wed. Oct. 12 for a 6 p.m. match.  Read Full Article