The Oswego State women’s volleyball team was unable to corral a win when they hosted SUNYAC Pool Play on Friday and Saturday at Max Ziel Gymnasium, going 0-4 capturing only two sets, just as they did in pool play at SUNY Geneseo in September.
SUNY Fredonia captured the top seed in the SUNYAC West division with its 4-0 performance over the weekend. The Blue Devils also swept pool play in Geneseo and have earned the top spot in the West for four straight years. Buffalo State, Geneseo and SUNY Brockport all tied for second with a 2-2 record.
Oswego State kicked off the tournament on the right foot, by winning a tight set against Buffalo State by the score of 25-23. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Bengals righted their ship and captured the next three sets 25-20, 25-20 and 25-18 for the match win. Senior captain Jess Isgro led the team with eight kills. Junior captain Katie van Kessel followed closely with seven kills and added 22 digs. Senior libero Liz Crouch paced the defense with 27 digs.
In their second match, the Lakers once again started off hot. A confident Lakers squad took the first set 27-25 over SUNY Brockport. However, they went ice cold from there, failing to win another set for the rest of the weekend. A lack of blocking plagued the Lakers against the Golden Eagles, as they failed to record a single block during the match. This gave Brockport open hitting lanes, and the Golden Eagles exploited the Lakers, winning the next three sets 25-9, 25-20 and 25-10 in a four-set triumph.
Oswego State could not get it going on Saturday morning, as it was swept by both Geneseo and Fredonia. Geneseo made quick work of the Lakers, who still struggled to cover the hitting lanes. Isgro and sophomore Chelsea Crump paced Oswego State with seven and six kills, respectively. No Laker finished with double-digit digs, and they were quickly hit off the court by the scores of 25-12, 25-22 and 25-18.
The conference powerhouse Blue Devils were the last team the Lakers had to face. Van Kessel found her spike in this match, smacking seven kills while boasting a .467 hitting percentage. Oswego State also got its blockers involved again with four team blocks, but it was not enough to stop surging Fredonia. The Blue Devils were victorious in the match 25-17, 25-13 and 25-18. Fredonia finished SUNYAC West Pool Play with an unscathed 8-0 record and will host the 2010 SUNYAC Championship tournament.
Oswego State did not qualify for the year-end championships, but did finish its season on a high note. The Lakers swept SUNY Morrisville on Tuesday to conclude their season at 10-20.
