The 2021 season for the Oswego State Lakers volleyball team can be summed up in two words…roller coaster. 

  The team finished 12-14 on the season, however in SUNYAC play they disappointingly went 1-8.  Their only win of the season was against SUNY Potsdam near the end of the season. In non-conference play the team was a completely different breed, notching 11 wins to only six losses against teams who were attempting to make playoff runs in their own conferences. Only one of those losses came from a team with a losing record, which was Skidmore College. The other five teams had great records, with all of them having at least 16 wins. Apart from that, the Lakers were very strong against out-of-conference teams, often shutting out their opponents. Regardless of how they did in conference play last season, the Lakers look poised to build on last season and come out stronger this 2022 season.

  The core of the offense is mostly the same from last season, with players like Emma Fiorentine, Cara Simplicio, Georgia Farry, Sydney Chiffriller, Emily Zeisler, Grace Taylor and McKenna Corbin all still on the team. 

  There is a new coach on the block though, with head coach JJ O’Connell announcing his retirement last November.  Who better to fill those shoes other than Toby Rens, a coach that has put up an impressive 408-298 record in his 21-year career. The bulk of those years were spent at the NCAA Div.I level. Coach Rens brings experience to the Oswego State volleyball team, and we hope he can bring a strengthened outlook to our volleyball program. 

  The Oswego State volleyball team played four games at this weekend’s Mustang Volleyball Tournament, falling to a 1-3 record on the season. 

  In the first matchup of the season the Lakers took on Rowan University. Fiorentine led the team in kills with seven, while Grace Taylor led the team in aces with eight. Troy led the team in digs, with 18 in that match. Sydney Chiffriller led the team in blocks with eight, with McKenna Corbin leading the way in the assist category with 23. This was not enough, losing three sets to one

  The second matchup of the season also sadly did not go the Lakers way as they played SUNY Morrisville, losing three sets to zero. However, the Lakers did fight hard in this matchup regardless of what the scoreboard said.  At the end of the matchup, the team had 21 kills, five aces, six blocks, 21 assists and 38 digs. Leading the team in kills was Fiorentine again, grabbing seven in this matchup. She also led the team in aces with two followed by Zeisler and Troy. Taylor led the team in blocks, with four of the team’s six blocks. Corbin led the team in assists again with 21, while junior Ally Natalie led in digs with 13. 

  Starting off day two of the tournament the Lakers took on Misericordia University.  These two teams battled in this matchup, with all four sets ending within at a six point margin. Oswego led the matchup in assists and blocks while also destroying Misericordia in digs by 14. They also led the game in errors, with 13 compared to Misericordia’s 19. The teams also evened out at kills with 36 each, showing us how close the match truly was. However, it was not enough to sketch a win for Oswego State, losing the match four sets to one.  Fiorentine continues to lead the Lakers in kills with nine, Corbin led the team in 3 major categories: aces (four), blocks (three) and set a career-high in assists with 34. Troy also led the team in digs with 24.

   In their fourth and final match for Oswego State in the tournament, the Lakers competed against Russell Sage College.  They looked great in the first set, winning 25-15 but lost the next two sets by only two points in each game (25-23, 27-25). The Lakers fought back hard, winning the next two sets 25-16 and 15-12 to grab their first win of the season.  Georgia Farry debuted her 2022 campaign with 25 kills, with Troy leading the team in digs again with 21.  McKenna Corbin took over this game, destroying her career high that she set hours before against Misericordia. She ended the matchup with 52 assists with an outstanding zero errors.

   Overall, the team might not have had the best four game stretch on paper but there are great positives for coach Toby Rens to look back on. 

   After a win against Keuka College Sept. 7, the Lakers head to Pennsylvania for the Behrend Invitational this upcoming weekend.