SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Oneonta women's volleyball team split its series on Saturday's second day of the Skidmore College Invitational. The Red Dragons (3-3) downed Union 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 15-25, 25-20) in the opening match, and then fell in five sets to Morrisville (23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, 7-15).

The first set saw Oneonta take a 5-2 lead following kills by junior Isabella Fabrizio (Highland Mills, NY/Cornwall) and senior Casey Biggers (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East). The Dutchwomen fought back to tie 11-11, but Caitlin Christie (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) sent in a kill to retake the lead. Oneonta remained in control, and a double block by Ashanti Davis (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) and Fabrizio pushed the advantage to 18-14. The set was finally closed out with a Union service error.

After Oneonta took a 16-14 lead in the second set, the Red Dragons rattled off a 7-0 comprised of two Davis kills and two Carsyn Rachuta (Holbrook, NY/Sachem North) aces. Union took the following three points, but Oneonta took the final points from blocks by Davis, Kayla Rende (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh), Clara Culeton (Oswego, NY/Oswego), and Christie.

The Red Dragons jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Dutchwomen could tally a point in the third. A Biggers kill made it 8-1, but Union responded with a 15-1 span with four aces from Julia Webster. A Fabrizio kill cut the lead to seven before Union won the set on a 3-0 run.

The fourth set remained close until Biggers and Fabrizio knocked in a pair of kills to make it 24-19. Davis and Rende then blocked an attack by Nikki Newcomer to give Oneonta the win.

Junior Ashanti Davis (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) led the Red Dragons with 11 kills and seven total blocks. Biggers and Christie added nine kills. Rende had a well-rounded match with three aces, three blocks, 41 assists, and eight digs, while first-year Anna Moller (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach Senior) had 16 digs.

Oneonta trailed most of the first set against Morrisville and cut the lead to 15-14 after a Biggers kill. The Mustangs followed up with a 3-0 run, and then the Red Dragons answered with their own. The team traded points until a kill by Christie and a Moller ace made it 23-24. Morrisville's Brianna Gates sent in the final kill.

After taking a 6-2 lead in the second set, Oneonta never fell behind. Two consecutive Fabrizio aces pushed it to 21-17 before Morrisville scored three straight points. The Red Dragons used kills from Christie and Culeton to wrap up the set and tie 1-1.  

The third and fourth sets consisted of both teams using long runs, and it looked as if Morrisville would seal the victory in the fourth after going up 9-1. A 6-2 Oneonta run with three Davis kills to cut the lead to 11-7, and then a 5-1 span made it a two-point game. The Red Dragons eventually tied 20-20 after a kill from Christie, and Oneonta then used a 5-1 run to force the fifth set.

Oneonta fell behind 9-6 in the fifth, and four straight Mustangs' points pushed the lead to seven. The Red Dragons scored on an error, but Morrisville hung on for the victory.

Davis and Christie each recorded 11 kills, while Biggers added eight. Moller, Annalisa Alicea (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington), and Fabrizo all had three service aces, while Culeton tallied six blocks. Rende dished out a match-high 37 assists, and Moller grabbed 17 digs.

Oneonta opens conference play next when they travel to face New Paltz on Wed. Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.