Cobleskill, NY - The Alfred State women's volleyball team continued its strong SUNYAC play on Friday afternoon, earning a convincing 3-0 sweep over SUNY Cobleskill inside Iorio Gymnasium. The Pioneers improved to 12-9 overall and 2-2 in conference action with set victories of 25-16, 25-16, and 26-24.
Alfred State came out firing in the opening set, hitting .429 while recording 13 kills. The Pioneers used a balanced offensive attack and a pair of service aces from
Alayna Tomlinson to build separation before closing out the set 25-16.
The second set featured another dominant stretch from the Pioneers. After Cobleskill briefly held a 5-3 lead, Alfred State responded with a decisive run fueled by the serving of
Ava Wickes, who delivered five service aces in the match and sparked an 8-0 burst. The Pioneers never looked back, cruising to another 25-16 victory and taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
Cobleskill provided its toughest challenge in the third set, rallying from an early deficit and eventually taking a 24-21 advantage. Alfred State showed its resilience when it mattered most, scoring the final five points of the match. Kills from
Alayna Tomlinson,
Brianny Rodriguez,
Alli Hillyard, and
Rebecca Jackson helped erase the deficit before Tomlinson sealed the comeback victory with an ace to complete the sweep.
The Pioneers finished the afternoon with 34 kills and a .247 hitting percentage while adding 12 service aces and four blocks. Cobleskill was held to a .025 hitting percentage and just 21 kills.
Rebecca Jackson led the Alfred State offense with 11 kills and six digs, while
Alayna Tomlinson contributed nine kills and four service aces.
Erin Gregoire was nearly flawless offensively, posting six kills on eight attacks for a .750 hitting percentage.
Brianny Rodriguez chipped in five kills and two blocks, while setter
Isabel Carew directed the attack with 29 assists and three service aces.
Defensively,
Ava Wickes paced the Pioneers with nine digs while also adding five service aces, helping Alfred State control the match from the service line.
With the victory, Alfred State secured its second SUNYAC win of the season and completed a road sweep of Cobleskill in straight sets. The Pioneers will be back in action tomorrow as the head up to Plattsburgh to take on the Cardinals. That match is set to start at 1 pm.
