BROCKPORT, N.Y, -- Fredonia was eliminated from the SUNYAC Women's Volleyball Tournament with a 3-2 loss Friday to Oswego State.
The Blue Devils (22-12) lost the first set, 16-25, and then won the second and third sets, 25-19 and 25-16, before the Lakers rallied to win the match. The final set scores were 25-19 and 16-14 in favor of Oswego State.
Sophomore outside hitter Kristen Stanek (Hamburg, N.Y.) was Fredonia's top hitter with 20 kills and a .356 percentage. Junior outside hitter Sara Madison (Rochester, N.Y.) Â had 13 kills.
Senior setter Kelly Edinger (Rochester, N.Y.) – one of four Fredonia seniors whose collegiate careers came to an end – added 47 assists to her career school-record total. She also collected 19 digs – one of four Blue Devils in double figures. Senior libero Lauren Hokaj (Lancaster, N.Y.) led the Blue Devils with 26 digs. Freshman outside hitter Kailey Falk (York, N.Y.) added 14 and freshman outside hitter Rachel Aiello (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) added 13.
Down 1-0 midway through the second set, the Blue Devils gained momentum with a 10-6 run as Edinger and Stanek closed out the set with consecutive kills. The third set was all Blue Devils. They trailed only briefly, 2-1, then turned up the offense, collecting 16 kills – and hitting .400 – in what proved to be their best run of the match.
A kill by Oswego's Emma Moriarty broke a 7-7 tie early in the fourth set. It was a start of a run which saw the Lakers open up a lead as large as eight points before closing out the set.
There were nine lead changes in the fifth set, with Fredonia opening a 10-6 lead following an Oswego attack error. Oswego used a 5-1 run to pull even, 11-11, before Fredonia took its final lead of the match – and the season – on a kill by junior outside hitter Megan Collins (Burlingham, N.Y.). Collins had eight kills in the match – three in the final set.
With the score tied 14-14, Oswego State secured the win on consecutive kills by Moriarty and Kelsey Dillon.
In addition to Edinger and Hokaj, middle blocker Jessica DiChristopher (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) played her final collegiate match. Fredonia's fourth senior, Paulina Rein (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), was scratched from the lineup because of injury.