Women's Volleyball | 9/30/2009 10:37:01 PM

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CORTLAND, NY - SUNY Cortland (9-8) scored the final five points to break a 20-20 tie in the first set and the last three points to pull away from a 22-22 tie in the second set on the way to a three-set sweep over the RIT volleyball squad (11-8) on Wednesday evening. The Tigers fell by scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-12.

Senior middle hitter Victoria Petko (East Amherst, NY/Clarence) led RIT with nine kills and five assisted blocks.  Freshman Rebecca Moore (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) slammed seven kills and hit .278.  Cristine Schiavello (West Chester, PA/Unionville) led the way with 11 assists and chipped in with three blocks.  Melanie Springer (Frederick, MD/Governor Thomas Johnson) also recorded nine assists.  Audrey DiPoala (Victor, NY/Victor) recorded five digs.

Freshman Katie Wick led Cortland with 14 kills versus three errors in 30 attempts for a .367 attack percentage. Sophomore Sheena Asibey finished with eight kills and four blocks.

The first set featured 11 ties and neither team led by more than three points until Cortland's final run. RIT tied the match at 20-20 on a Petko kill, but a strong kill by Michelle Gaufman on an RIT overhit gave the Red Dragons the lead for good. A kill by Wick, two RIT errors and a Gaufman ace finished the set.

RIT raced out to leads of 8-1 and 9-2 in the second set, with Katie Cooper (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) aces accounting for three of the points. The Red Dragons, however, went on an 11-3 run to take a 13-12 lead. The set was tied six more times from that point. Cortland trailed 20-17 after a Petko kill, but scored four of the next five points, including kills by Asibey and Wick and a kill and ace by Kristen Guercio. RIT took its last lead at 22-21 on a Moore kill, but Cortland forced the final tie on a Wick kill and scored the last three points, capped by a Ariel Rakita and Kaitlyn Cooper combined block.

The third set was tied early at 5-5, and RIT was still within 8-7 after a Moore kill. The Red Dragons, however, used an 8-1 run to take a 16-8 lead and never looked back. Rakita had three aces in that run, and Wick recorded four of her kills after that point, including the final point of the match.

RIT is back in action on Friday and Saturday at the Oneonta State Invitational.  RIT plays Lycoming at 4 p.m. and SUNY Purchase at 8 p.m. on Friday.