NCAA Womens Volleyball

Red Dragons Sweep Texas Lutheran, Fall to #8 Trinity, to Open 2024 Campaign

St. Benedict

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The Cortland women’s volleyball team split two matches during the first day of the Trinity University Fall Classic, sweeping Texas Lutheran, 25-21, 30-28, 25-23, before losing in three sets to the host and nationally eighth-ranked Tigers, 25-14, 25-23, 25-22.
 
Cortland (1-1) concludes play at the tournament Saturday at 1:15 p.m. (Central) versus The College of St. Benedict (Minn.).
 
Jennifer Koestner (Syosset) and Anna Pilkey (Ballston Spa) led Cortland versus Texas Lutheran with 12 kills apiece. Koestner also finished with four aces and a team-high 26 digs. Emma Reilly (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) recorded eight kills with one error in 13 attempts for a .538 attack percentage and Kira Pirrera (Hauppauge/Smithtown West) had seven kills. Mikenzie Martens (Carthage) and Melissa O’Connor (Hauppauge) finished with 11 digs each and Ryan Hinshaw (Aurora, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) had 36 assists.
 
Victoria Powell led the Bulldogs with nine kills and Faith Coldewey and Shavonne Respondek each totaled 19 digs. Texas Lutheran beat St. Benedict in five sets later on Friday and is now 1-1 on the season.
 
Cortland won the first set after finishing on a 5-2 run. The second set featured 11 ties and six lead changes. The Red Dragons trailed 24-22 before fighting off two set points on a kill by Koestner and a block by Koestner and Reilly. Texas Lutheran then fended off four potential Cortland set points from 25-24 to 28-27 before the Red Dragons closed the door on a kill by Pilkey and a Texas Lutheran attack error. The third set featured an amazing 17 ties, the last at…

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