Score: SUNY Cortland 3 – Elmira College 2 [25-15, 16-25, 25-17, 25-23]
Records: SUNY Cortland (13-11), Elmira (4-9)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, N.Y.
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- It was an exciting match this evening at Elmira College's Speidel Gymnasium, as the women's volleyball team took on Route 13 rival, SUNY Cortland. Elmira pushed the Red Dragons to the brink in four sets, but would eventually fall in a tight non-conference bout, 3-1.
 
Cortland made quick work of Elmira in the first set, hitting a match-high .474 en route to a 25-15 opening-set victory. Elmira rallied in the second set behind the power serving of rookie McKenzie Slaven '20. Trailing 5-7, Slaven connected on one of her seven kills of the evening to bring EC to within one and put the Horseheads, New York, native at the service line.
 
Including the Slaven kill, Elmira rattled off 14 consecutive points to take a commanding 19-7 lead. Slaven produced five of her career-high six aces during the 14-0 run, which prompted two Cortland timeouts. Natalie Schieder '19 also logged four of her match-high 19 kills during that stretch, as Elmira went on to win the set, 25-16.
 
Elmira carried its momentum into the third frame, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on the Red Dragons. Schieder once again played a large role in the run, connecting on three of four kills in the set.
 
The Soaring Eagles clung to their lead midway through the set, but the Red Dragons slowly chipped away before pulling ahead at 15-14. Cortland built its lead to 19-15, but two straight points for Elmira cut the deficit to just two, 19-17. However, the Cortland women closed out the set on a 6-0 run to win it, 25-17, and take a 2-sets-to-1 lead.
 
It looked as though Cortland would run away with the fourth, as the Red Dragons pulled ahead early at 6-2. However, Elmira strung together a mini 7-2 run to take a 9-8 lead, one that would eventually be built to 17-15.
 
From there, Cortland reclaimed the lead by by winning the next four points, but a kill by Slaven along with a Red Dragon hitting error leveled the set at 19-all. Nevertheless, Cortland responded with two straight points to pull ahead 21-19, before the two teams traded the final eight points en route to a 25-23 fourth-set win, which sealed the match for Cortland.
 
Inside the Box Score

• SUNY Cortland finished with a .194 attack percentage, including an errorless first set that resulted in a .474 rate.
• Elmira hit only .045 after committing 28 attacking errors.
• Both teams tossed up 11 service aces.
• The Red Dragons edged the Soaring Eagles in blocks, 10-to-6.
• Elmira had 68 digs, as compared SUNY Cortland's 62.
• Schieder led all players with a match-high 19 kills.
• Taylor Kaznowski '19 produced a double-double with 26 assists and 16 digs, both team highs.
• Slaven paced EC with six aces.
• Kelsey Ray '17 registered a team-leading three total blocks.
• Amanda May led the Red Dragons with 12 kills.
• Cortland's Samantha Czeczotka served a game-high seven aces.
• Sarah Piacentini picked up a double-double with 31 assists and 10 digs.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira suffered its sixth consecutive loss of the year.
• EC's home record dropped below .500 (3-4).
• Elmira produced double-digit aces for the fifth time this season (11).
• The Soaring Eagles' three solo blocks were a season high.
• Slaven's six aces were a career high.
• Schieder recorded her 10th double-digit kill effort of the season.  
• Kaznowski logged her seventh double-double of the year.
• Kaznowski's has registered a double-double in three consecutive matches.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action tomorrow morning for a pair of non-league matches against Hunter College and Lycoming College. The Soaring Eagles face the Hawks of Hunter at 10:00 a.m., before concluding the day's action with a 12:00 p.m. showdown with the Warriors of Lycoming. Both matches will take place inside Elmira's Speidel Gymnasium.