POTSDAM, N.Y. – Cortland rallied after losing the first set and the Red Dragons earned a trip to the NCAA Div. III "elite eight" with a 3-1 victory over MIddlebury College in the NCAA Div. III regional final at Clarkson University.
Cortland will make its ninth NCAA quarterfinal appearance and first since 2000. The Red Dragons will play Christopher Newport University of Virginia on Friday, Nov. 18, at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. The match time is to be announced. The national semifinals will be held Saturday and the championship game is Sunday, also at Washington University. Cortland (42-1) won its 22nd straight match - the second longest win streak in school history behind a 39-match run by the 2003 squad.
Senior outside hitter Ashley Coyle (Mt. Hope/Minisink Valley) was named the NCAA regional Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by junior setter Kristen Guercio (Smithtown/Smithtown East) and sophomore outside hitter Aubrey Barrett (Liverpool).
Coyle led Cortland versus the Panthers with 16 kills, two aces and 16 digs. Guercio dished out 44 assists and scooped up nine digs, while Barrett added 12 kills and six blocks.
Junior outside hitter Katie Wick (Cortland/Homer) recorded 11 kills and a team-high 18 digs. Senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Cooper (Webster/Webster Schroeder) finished with eight kills and six blocks, four solo. Senior middle hitter Sheena Asibey (Brentwood) had nine kills and six blocks, while senior Jaclyn Lawrence (Marilla/Iroquois Central) and sophomore Krissy Silk (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) notched nine digs each.
Middlebury (23-9) was led by Megan Jarchow's 17 kills and Amy Hart's 16 kills and 10 digs. Jane Handel finished with 15 kills and 15 digs and Julia Gibbs registered 52 assists and five aces.
Cortland fell behind 7-2 to start the first set and never recovered. The Red Dragons were within three at 19-16, but Middlebury scored four straight points. Trailing 24-17, Cortland was able to score four points before Middlebury won the set.
The second set was tied at 17-17 when a bad set and two Cooper kills gave Cortland a 20-17 lead. The Panthers answered with four straight on a Handel kill, two Gibbs aces and a Cortland error to go up 21-20. With the set tied 22-22, Coyle put down two kills and Asibey and Guercio combined on the set-ending block.
Middlebury led 11-6 in the third set, but Cortland mounted an 8-0 run that featured two Cooper kills and kills by Wick, Coyle and Guercio to take a 14-11 lead. The Red Dragons appeared comfortable with a 22-17 lead, but the Panthers went on a 6-1 streak to tie the set at 23-23. Cortland had set points at 24-23 and 25-24, but each time Middlebury responded to tie. Cortland finally ended the set on kills by Coyle and Barrett.
In the fourth set, the Red Dragons were clinging to a 15-14 lead before going on a decisive 7-0 run. That stretch started with kills by Wick and Asibey and finished with a Barrett kill, a Barrett block and two straight combined blocks by Barrett and Cooper.
Box Score
Regional Web Page (includes link to video coverage)
NCAA Quarterfinals/Semis/Finals Web Page
March 7, 2012
J.J. O'Connell Named Oswego State Head Volleyball Coach
January 2, 2012
Five Earn ECAC All-Star Honors
November 16, 2011
Volleyballers Tabbed All-American
November 13, 2011
Red Dragons Rally Past Middlebury to Earn Elite Eight Ticket
November 12, 2011
Cortland Advances to NCAA Third Round After Sweep at Clarkson
November 11, 2011
Cortland Victorious vs. Southern Vermont in NCAA Opener
November 9, 2011
SUNYAC Announces Volleyball Awards: Coyle and Hoerup Repeat
November 7, 2011
Coyle Selected Player of the Week
November 7, 2011
Cortland to Face Southern Vermont in NCAA Opener
November 5, 2011
Cortland Beats New Paltz to Repeat as SUNYAC Volleyball Champion
November 4, 2011
Cortland Sweeps Oneonta in SUNYAC Semifinals
November 3, 2011
Women's Volleyball Sweeps Geneseo In SUNYAC Quarterfinal Round
November 3, 2011
Volleyball advances past Buffalo State in SUNYAC tournament
November 2, 2011
2011 Volleyball Tournament Begins Thursday
October 31, 2011
Zureck Repeats as Player of the Week
October 26, 2011
New Paltz's Carrie Hack Earns 1,000th Career Dig
October 25, 2011
Olson becomes latest ECAC winner
October 20, 2011
Brockport and Plattsburgh Set to Host Second Round of Pool Play
October 17, 2011
Zuerck Tabbed SUNYAC Player of the Week
October 13, 2011
Ottaviano Excels Beyond the Scoreboard
October 10, 2011
Dana Vosilla Named SUNYAC Volleyball Player of the Week
October 4, 2011
Volleyball Player of the Week Honors to go Newhouse
September 26, 2011
Bashore Leads Bengals to 4-0 Record; Honored by SUNYAC and ECAC
September 24, 2011
Cortland Volleyball Coach Pam Hoerup Garners 200th Career Victory
September 23, 2011
New Paltz's DiGiovanna Reaches 1,000-Kill Milestone
September 22, 2011
Buffalo State and Oneonta set to Host Volleyball Pool Play Sept 23-24
September 19, 2011
Kristen Guercio Tabbed Volleyball Player of the Week
September 17, 2011
Fredonia's Sarah Zureck sets digs mark
September 16, 2011
Coyle and Asibey Each Reach Career 1,000-Kill Mark
September 15, 2011
Geneseo Volleyball Sets NCAA Record
September 14, 2011
Kelly Nowak Hits Milestone for Kills against Cortland
September 12, 2011
Nowak Named Volleyball Player of the Week
September 3, 2011
Oneonta Volleyball coach Colleen Cashman records 300th win
August 18, 2011
Women's Volleyball Receives Votes in Preseason AVCA Top-25 Poll
August 5, 2011
Betsy Hayden Named Oswego State Head Volleyball Coach