LOCATION: PE Gym – Albany, N.Y.
SHORT STORY: The Great Danes bounced back from Thursday's opener with a strong 3-1 victory over Cornell, fueled by a balanced attack and standout defensive effort.
COACH JOSH PICKARD: "It was a great team effort tonight. We came back and pushed when our opponents played at a higher level. The team has been working at playing more even-keeled, and we definitely did that tonight. Glad to see them come back and play together during the second day of the tournament."
SCORE: UAlbany 3, Cornell 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23)
RECORD: UAlbany 3-2, 0-0 America East | Cornell 0-1, 0-0 Ivy League
KEY STATS
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Graduate outside hitter Shynelle Woroniuk paced the offense with 17 kills and added 8 digs.
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Senior middle blocker Tori Wilson tallied 8 kills and 1 block on .313 hitting.
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Graduate opposite Kendall Harris chipped in 7 kills and 2 digs.
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Redshirt-junior middle Gabriella Karman hit .375 with 4 kills, 1 block, and 1 ace.
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Sophomore setter Maria Olga Siapani ran the attack with 38 assists, 11 digs, and 4 kills.
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Redshirt-junior libero Brooke Malek anchored the back row with 23 digs.
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Sophomore defensive specialist Kasia Barletta provided 8 digs and 2 service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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UAlbany controlled much of the opening frame, using early kills from Kendall Harris and Tori Wilson to establish momentum.
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A service ace from Shynelle Woroniuk gave the Danes breathing room, and Anna Myhal added a late kill to help close it 25-21.
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Cornell responded in the second set, jumping out to an early lead.
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UAlbany rallied with back-to-back kills from Wilson and Woroniuk, but the Big Red held on late to even the match with a 25-19 win.
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The Great Danes regained control in the third, sparked by a fast start that included kills from Woroniuk and Gabriella Karman.
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Brooke Malek's defense steadied the group while Harris and Wilson finished key rallies down the stretch, sealing the set 25-20.
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The fourth set was tightly contested throughout, with both teams trading points deep into the frame.
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Maria Olga Siapani distributed the ball effectively, and Woroniuk's late kill gave UAlbany the win, 25-23.
NEXT: The Great Danes wrap up the UAlbany Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 6, against Canisius at 7 PM.
