CANTON, N.Y. – The Oneonta women's volleyball team battled through five competitive sets Wednesday evening, holding off Canton 3-2 in a SUNYAC matchup at Stan Cohen Court. The Red Dragons won with set scores of 25-20, 25-16, 21-25, 22-25, and 16-14.
With the win, Oneonta improved to 11-11 overall and 7-1 in SUNYAC play. The Roos fall to 14-10 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
Canton grabbed the early momentum in the opening set, jumping out to a 3-0 advantage. Oneonta responded with kills from sophomore Lily Pugliese (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) and junior Shea Landversicht (Greenville, NY/Greenville) to get back into the set. The Red Dragons eventually took control behind a service ace from sophomore Cadence Meltz (Highland, NY/Highland) and consecutive kills from senior Keira Welsh (Patchogue, NY/Patchogue-Medford) and sophomore Layla Pertchik (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs).
Landversicht added another kill off an assist from Pertchik before Welsh and freshman Annalia McCarthy (Bellmore, NY/) helped Oneonta maintain its advantage down the stretch. The Red Dragons closed out the opening set 25-20.
Oneonta carried that momentum into the second set, opening with a 5-1 run. Pugliese and freshman Carsen Rittberger (Huntington, NY/Harborfields) recorded consecutive kills before Rittberger and Landversicht teamed up for a block. A service ace from junior Abigail Harper (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) helped extend the advantage.
The Red Dragons continued to build their lead, with Welsh recording multiple kills and senior Abby Stevens (Otisville, NY/Minisink Valley) adding an attacking point off an assist from Pugliese. Oneonta eventually stretched its advantage to 20-8 before closing out the set 25-16. Stevens delivered the final point with a service ace.
Canton responded in the third set, taking advantage of a strong offensive stretch to build a lead. The Red Dragons attempted to rally behind kills from Pugliese, Landversicht, and Welsh, but the Roos maintained their advantage to earn a 25-21 victory.
The fourth set featured another competitive battle. Oneonta got offensive contributions from Welsh, Landversicht, and Pugliese, while McCarthy and Rittberger provided a defensive presence at the net. The Red Dragons stayed within striking distance throughout the frame, but Canton pulled away late to win 25-22 and force a deciding fifth set.
In the fifth, Oneonta came out determined to finish the match. Rittberger opened the scoring with a kill off an assist from senior Lillian Slattery (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury), while Landversicht added an early kill to help the Red Dragons establish an advantage.
Canton battled back to even the score, setting up a tense finish. Welsh contributed a kill, while Landversicht continued to deliver at the net. With the score close, Oneonta received another important contribution from its front line before closing out the set 16-14 to secure the five-set victory.
Pugliese paced the Red Dragons offensively with 13 kills while hitting .313. Welsh followed with 12 kills, while Landversicht contributed nine kills and three service aces. Stevens added three kills and a service ace, while McCarthy finished with five kills and five block assists. Rittberger chipped in six kills and six block assists.
Defensively, Meltz led Oneonta with 25 digs and two service aces. Slattery recorded 23 digs and five assists, while Harper and Stevens each contributed 12 digs. Pertchik directed the offense with 27 assists and added 10 digs, while freshman Addison Tanton (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) provided 11 assists in two sets of action.
Landversicht and Rittberger led the blocking effort with six block assists apiece, while McCarthy added five. As a team, Oneonta finished with 50 kills, 46 assists, eight service aces, 97 digs, and 23 total blocks.
Oneonta wraps up the regular season on Saturday, November 7, at 3 p.m. for senior day.
