The Oswego State Volleyball team hosted their annual tournament in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. The Lakers played three games, the first against Hilbert College last Friday and the other against Penn St.-Behrend and Utica University last Saturday.

The first game was a tight victory for the Hawks. The game ended 3-2 for the Lakers, making it a total of five sets.

The first set was very balanced until the score was 15-13 for the Lakers. Both teams were interspersing points and never allowing a comprehensive advantage to be opened. After that, Juliana Santafemia was essential, participating in four of the Lakers’ following five points in a row. With 20-13 on the scoreboard, the Lakers did not take long to close at 25-18 and take the set to themselves. The second set has already started the opposite of the first. The Lakers had a vast advantage initially, making it 12-6. They opened up a big six-point lead and maintained until 17-11. Then, the Hawks scared the hosts by getting closer to the scoreboard with a sequence of four points. The Lakers responded in kind and scored four points in a row. With a score of 21-15, the set practically won with the help of Emily Zeisler, who directly participated in three of the four final points needed for the Lakers to close the set.

At that moment, the game was 2-0 sets for the Lakers, a victory that was already hard to reverse, given how the Lakers had dominated the sets. The third set was a great dominance by the Hawks, opening 15-7 and expanding to 19-9 in total after a few more points. This distance did not take long to achieve the set for the Hawks, with the end being 15-15.

The fourth set was decisive. If the Hawks won, they would tie everything, forcing a fifth set. Now if the Lakers won, it would end everything. The set was very balanced until 15-13 in favor of the Hawks. The Lakers got lost and started to suffer in the game, taking a 25-19 and losing the possibility of finishing the game. The Lakers dominated the fifth and final set. They soon made it 10-1 with an excellent match from Kalley Vugteveen. They did not take long to win the set 15-6 and another game.

The Lakers’ second game was a loss against the Lions. The result was the same as the last game but with much more intensity and a much tighter game.

The first set started with a big 9-2 from the Lions. The advantage tried to be reduced by the Lakers at 15-12, but it was still far away. The Lions took a big 24-17 lead, needing just one point to close the set. The Lakers incredibly turned the set to 25-24 with an incredible performance from Vugteveen, contributing seven points. However, it did not take long for the Lions to come back again and secure the set at 27-25.

The second set was another victory for the Lions. Opening a comprehensive 15-9 lead. The Lions did not take long to secure the set victory 25-17. The third set was the Lakers’ turn to dominate. They took a 13-4 lead and were guaranteeing the victory. The Lions closed at 20-15, but the Lakers secured it by closing the set at 25-20. The fourth set was also a victory for the Lakers. Everything was on track with 23-20 for the Lions to close the set. But the Lakers turned it around and secured, making it go to the fifth set, making it 25-23 with a good performance from Priscilla McReynolds. The fifth set was balanced until 8-6 for the Lakers. The Lions closed the game by turning the game around and secured a 15-11 victory over the Lakers.

The last game was a domination by the Lakers over the Pioneers. They won the three sets with big scores. The first set was balanced until 21-20 for the Lakers. Soon after that, the Lakers closed the score with 25-20. In the second set, the score was always close, with 12-10 for the Lakers in the middle of the set. The score was practically double that, being 25-20 for the Lakers. Again, with a good performance by Zeisler. The last set saw great dominance from the Lakers at the start of 15-10. Soon after, it turned into a 22-19 for the Lakers. And to end the championship with a three-set victory, the Lakers finished 25-23.

Zeisler and Mya Bush were elected to the tournament team. The Lakers’ next game will be in the Misericordia tournament starting Sept. 27.

Photo by: Oswego Athletics