GENESEO, N.Y. - The SUNY Geneseo women's volleyball team opened its season at the Heron Invitational on Friday, picking up a five-set win over Oswego before falling in straight sets to William Smith to move to 1-1 on the year.
Geneseo vs Oswego:
- Oswego jumped out front behind kills from Grace Gdovin and Priscilla McReynolds, and despite a mid-set push from Geneseo that included back-to-back kills from Kate Barba, the Lakers closed out the opening set 25-17.
- Geneseo settled in during the second set, trading points with Oswego into the teens before a McKenna Callari service ace and a Peyton Cole kill sparked a late surge. Ellie McLennan capped the set with a kill off a Kathryn Barba assist, and the Knights held on for a 25-22 win.
- Oswego opened the third set on a 6-0 run, riding a Gdovin service ace and a string of Geneseo attack errors, and the Knights were never quite able to close the gap, dropping the set 25-23.
- Geneseo flipped the script in the fourth, jumping ahead 3-0 and never looking back. McKenna Callari served consecutive aces to push the lead to 8-5, and the Knights closed the set on a 6-0 run to win 25-10 and force a decisive fifth.
- The Knights carried their momentum into the fifth set, controlling play throughout for a 15-9 win to clinch the match.
Geneseo vs William Smith:
- William Smith raced ahead early behind Emily Fulton and Cassidy Breuer, and although Geneseo trimmed the deficit to 13-17 late in the set, the Herons closed it out on an 8-1 run to take the opener 25-14.
- Geneseo opened the second set with a Jessica Macken service ace to lead 2-0, but William Smith answered with a 10-1 stretch fueled by three Kali Vanderhoof aces and never trailed again, winning 25-12.
- The third set followed a similar pattern, with William Smith building a comfortable cushion behind Breuer and Fulton before closing out the sweep, 25-16.
QUICK FACTS:
- Kate Barba paced Geneseo with 26 kills across both matches and was one of five Knights to record a service ace on the day.
- Zooey Gagnier and Cory Elder each contributed on both sides of the ball, with Gagnier tallying 32 digs and Elder adding 14 kills against Oswego.
- Head Coach Kate Flamholtz-Isaksen recorded her first career win at the helm for the Knights.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Knights continue Heron Invitational play on Saturday, September 5th at 4 p.m. against Wesleyan University in Geneva, N.Y.
