CORTLAND, NY – The SUNY Brockport women's volleyball team dropped a pair of 3-0 sweep decisions on Saturday during the Cortland Invitational at the Whitney T. Corey Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles fell to host SUNY Cortland in the opener before dropping a three-set match to Williams College in the afternoon. Following the Saturday slate, Brockport sits at 6-5 overall on the season.
Match 1: Cortland 3, Brockport 0
In Saturday's opening contest, Brockport struggled to gain traction offensively against host Cortland, falling in straight sets (20-25, 14-25, 12-25).
The Red Dragons controlled the net play throughout the morning, holding the Golden Eagles to a -.062 hitting percentage overall. Brockport kept things tight in the opening set with two ties and a lead change, but Cortland used strong serving and block setups to pull away late for the 25-20 win. The host squad then carried that momentum into sets two and three to close out the sweep.
Luba Butcher led the Brockport front row with six kills while adding 10 digs on defense. Middle hitter
Ava Baty was efficient on her touches, registering two kills on three swings without an error (.667) to go alongside two block assists.
Kaitlyn Jewett dished out seven assists along with eight digs, while
Grace Ippoliti anchored the backline defense with a match-high 12 digs.
Match 2: Williams College 3, Brockport 0
The afternoon finale saw the Green and Gold battle in a closely contested battle against Williams College, but the Ephs ultimately prevailed in three straight sets (16-25, 17-25, 22-25). The match featured 19 tie scores and seven lead changes, highlighting a competitive back-and-forth effort in every frame.
Brockport generated more rhythm offensively in the second and third sets, but Williams hit .216 as a unit to keep the Golden Eagles at bay. Down 2-0 in sets, Brockport dug deep in the third set, pushing through nine ties and four lead changes. Despite late swings from the Brockport pins, Williams held on late for the 25-22 set win to seal the match.
Anna Kurtzhalts led the offense for Brockport, swinging for a team-high nine kills on 32 attempts. Butcher added another steady performance with six kills on a .250 hitting percentage, while
Ana Parella contributed four kills on the right side.
Setters Jewett and Baty directed the offense with 14 and 10 assists, respectively. Jewett also made her mark from behind the service line, leading all players with four service aces while adding seven digs. Defensively, Ippoliti was outstanding on the backline, racking up a match-high 19 digs.
Up Next: The Green and Gold look to bounce back as they head on the road to open Empire 8 conference play against Hartwick College on Friday, October 2nd, at 6:00 p.m.
