The Oswego State volleyball team was invited to the Penn State Behrend Invitational in Pennsylvania this past weekend and faced four out-of-conference opponents. The Lakers finished the tournament 2-2.
The first match for the Lakers was against Grove City University where the Lakers showed their determination as a team. Grove City was dominating throughout the first set, but it was when they got to match point that things got interesting. Grove City was leading by eight points, but the Lakers led by Georgia Farry and Emily Zeisler commanded the final stretch of the game. Farry had a kill and a massive block to start the Lakers eight point run. Zeisler felt the comeback energy and had three service aces in a row to bring the deficit down to three.
Grove City had two attack errors that the Lakers exploited to bring it to a one point set. However, the Lakers made too many blunders, and Grove City scored the last point off a serve to take set one. Grove City, guided by their momentum, started set two with a 10-4 score over the Lakers. Oswego showed perseverance, and made a run to take the lead in the set 11-10.
With some back and forth action Grove City was able to keep it close, but with a kill by Cara Simplicio and a block by Corbin and Grace Taylor the Lakers were able to take set two. The third set was just as close, but Grove City ended up winning 25-20 even with great blocks at the end by Farry and Emma Fiorentine.
The fourth set again did not disappoint, the game was tied eight times, but Grove City had a four point run at the end to win the match.
The second matchup for the Lakers was against the host team, Penn State Behrend University. The host team quickly took a two set lead on Oswego State with scores of 25-16 and 25-19. The third and fourth sets is where things got interesting, as the Lakers brought the heat to take both with scores of 25-16 and 25-22.
In the final set to 15, the Lakers surged into the lead with five straight points after Behrend took the first. Behrend fought back though, notching seven straight points on Oswego. The teams then battled it out until Behrend took the last two points to end the game with a 15-10 score. Simplicio led the day in points and kills with 30 and 26 respectively and Corbin led the team in digs and assists with 26 and 59.
Day two of the invitational was a much better day for the Lakers and their first match was against Geneva College. The first set was back and forth in the beginning, but Geneva ultimately ended it on a 14-4 run, and the first set ended with a score of 25-12. The second set was a lot less lopsided, and with a 17-16 lead Oswego would go on three point run off kills from Farry and Sydney Chiffriller to go up 20-16. Geneva went on a run of their own, bringing the score to 24-22. The Lakers kept fighting but fell 30-28 in the second set.
This is where Oswego really showed their grit, and with their persistent offense led by Fiorentine, Chiffriller, Taylor and Farry they took the last 3 sets by scores of 25-23, 25-17 and 15-11.
The second match of the day came against Washington and Jefferson College, and it was a true test for this Lakers team. Washington and Jefferson took an early 7-2 lead and never trailed in the set, winning 25-20. Strings of great runs by the Lakers helped them in the second set, as they kept having to take the game back, but they narrowly won it with a score of 26-24.
The last two sets ended the same way, with the Lakers dominating in the end with massive runs. Both games ended with a 25-23 score in favor of Oswego. Farry led the day with 18 kills, Corbin led in assists with 94 and Kaylee Troy led in digs with 26.
On Sept. 13 this week, Oswego faced their first SUNYAC match against SUNY Cortland. This was not the Lakers’ day, as they fell three sets to zero by scores of 25-22, 25-15 and 25-17. There was a bright spot of this match against Cortland, as McKenna Corbin put up a game-high 22 assists and nine digs.
Overall, the Lakers might have not been able to win all of their matches this past week. However, they did show us that no matter what, they are going to hold their own and keep fighting.
Oswego will return home for their first home matches of the season on Sept. 16 at the Oswego State Invitational.
