Women’s volleyball clinch four seed in SUNYAC tournament after impressive wins

The Geneseo women’s varsity volleyball team added on to an already impressive winning streak this past weekend, pushing it to five consecutive wins in a row. The past two wins were both accumulated on the road, and in dominant fashion; the win on Oct. 21 came versus Buffalo State, with Geneseo winning three sets to one.

The Knights started out strong, leading the opening set 10-2, and senior libero Emily Haber stretched the lead even more with six points coming from the service line. After previously leading by 14 points, Geneseo won the first set by a score of 25-13.

The second set also started in favor of the Knights as they took a 15-7 lead. Unfortunately, Buffalo State was able to produce an impressive comeback and squeak out a 26-24 victory, tying the match 1-1.

Geneseo was behind to start the third set, trailing 13-12, but not for long. Six consecutive points were tallied by the Knights, four of which were credited to senior middle blocker Jackie Borland. Borland’s impressive string of points gave Geneseo the momentum they needed to take the third set, winning by eight.

The Bengals would not go down without a fight, keeping the fourth set very tight throughout. The Knights defended three set points, and eventually put it away with a great kill from freshman opposite hitter Sommer Madigan. The fourth set ended with a 30-28 score in favor of Geneseo, sealing the victory. Throughout the match, Haber acquired a whopping 40 digs, second all-time in program history in a four-set match. 

The second victory came in a shutout against Fredonia on Saturday afternoon. The first set started off slow for the Knights, trailing after the first 20 points. Remaining motivated, Geneseo began a hot streak and never looked back. They took the first set 25-21, sealing it with a kill from junior middle blocker Alisiana Muscoreil.

Not wanting to give Fredonia a chance to redeem themselves, junior outside hitter Madison Popielski recorded a block on the first point and quickly gathered two ace serves. Muscoreil clinched the second set as well, with a dominant 25-11 victory.

The third set was kept close, but the Blue Devils were no match for the Knights, who refused to drop a set. With a push at the very end, Geneseo came out with a 25-21 victory, completing the coveted shutout.

Borland had yet another impressive match, with seven kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Those kills would have been impossible if not for sophomore setter Jenna Garvey, who delivered with 11 assists. Haber led the defense with 18 digs, pairing well with the 40 that were racked up the night before. This victory has pushed Geneseo to their fifth-straight against Fredonia.

The pair of wins collected by the Knights have clinched them the No. 4 seed in the postseason tournament, which is set to begin on Nov. 1. Geneseo will square off against Oswego State in the first round, which should be an exciting match after a five-set game played earlier this month. The Knights’ regular season was dazzling, with a 6-3 conference record and ample proof that playing on the road does not phase them.