SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The Oneonta women's volleyball team dropped a five-set decision to Connecticut College at Friday night's Skidmore Classic. Oneonta fell 25-18 in the first set before taking a narrow 25-24 win in the second and then a 25-19 victory in the third. Connecticut took 25-24 and 15-8 wins in the final two sets.
The first set went back and forth, and the Red Dragons cut the Camel's lead to 13-12 following an ace from freshman Abigail Harper (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake). Connecticut College answered with two Mila Chan aces to go ahead 16-12. The Camels extended their lead to 18-13 following a block from Evie Lockwood Mullaney, but the Red Dragons answered with a 4-0 run with a kill from freshman McKenna Law (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) and an Abby Stevens (Otisville, NY/Minisink Valley, Slate Hill) ace to cut the lead to one. Connecticut College built up to a 21-18 advantage before closing out on a 4-0 run.
Oneonta fell behind 13-5 in the second set, but two kills from Law cut the lead to six. The Red Dragons continued with a 5-0 span with kills by Law, Stevens, and junior Katie Spano (Dryden, NY/Dryden), and a pair of Law aces to make it 15-13. Junior Anna Moller (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach Senior High School) brought the score within one following a kill to make it 15-14.
The teams traded points until Law knocked in a kill to tie 20-20. Stevens followed with an ace, and then two Camels' attack errors put Oneonta up 23-20. Connecticut used a 3-0 run with Chan and Zoe Watts kills to tie 23-23. Junior Mikayla Kendrick (Nassau, NY/Columbia High School/East Greenbush) hit a kill to take a 24-23 lead, and Moller sealed the set with a kill.
After Law tied 12-12 following a kill in the third, Spano recorded a kill before a Law ace to go up 14-12. Freshman Shea Landversicht (/) blocked a Rae Wartelle attack to take an 18-15 lead. Stevens snuck in a kill, and Landversicht hit a kill to put Oneonta up 23-17. Spano used a kill and blocked a final attack to give the Red Dragons a 2-1 set lead.
Connecticut jumped out to a 16-8 lead in the fourth before a 3-0 Oneonta run cut the lead to five points. The Camels' lead grew with a Wartelle kill, pushing the advantage to 20-12. Connecticut held Oneonta to two more points in the set and kills from Katherine Randall, and Watts tied sets 2-2.
Connecticut led 5-1 in the fifth before a Law kill and a block from Spano cut the lead to two points. The Camels responded with a 4-0 run with two Taylor Merrifold aces. Oneonta made it a 9-6 contest before a 5-0 Connecticut push built the lead to 14-6. Freshman Abigail Harper (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) and Welsh tallied kills, but Randall knocked in the final kill.
Law led the team with 14 kills and three aces, while Welsh recorded seven kills. Stevens made 18 assists, seven digs, and two aces. Moller finished with 15 digs, while Harper had 12 digs.
Wartelle had 12 kills and two blocks, while Chan had 12 kills, four aces, and 14 digs. Josie Kelly made 35 assists.
Oneonta continues the Skidmore Classic on Sat. Sept. 7 against Nazareth at noon and Williams at 4 p.m.
