The Oswego State Volleyball team swept SUNY Polytechnic Institute 3-0 on Oct. 8 in Max Ziel Gymnasium, earning them their 16th victory of the season. 

This win for the Lakers helped keep their playoff hopes intact with three games remaining on their schedule. The win was also the final home game for Oswego State, finishing off an undefeated home court record in 2022.

The Lakers took care of business against the Wildcats, winning the first two sets by a total score of 50-29, and finished the match off with a three-point win in the final set. Strong starts have been the key for Oswego State this season and they stuck to that versus the Wildcats as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead to begin the game. The second set seemed a little more even as the Wildcats had held their ground early, but a second-half surge from the Lakers secured a 25-16 win for the home team. The last set was much closer than the first two, but the Lakers were able to sweep the Wildcats in dominant fashion and pick up their fourth SUNYAC win of the season.

Oswego State won in the statistics department as well, they had 17 more kills, 27 more points, six more assists and 11 more aces than the Wildcats. Sydney Chifriller and Georgia Farry led the team in kills with seven each, and McKenna Corbin continued her incredible season with 16 assists. Emma Draper tied the game-high in kills with seven, and Michaela Bradshaw had 11 assists for the Wildcats.

The Lakers now sit in a three-way tie for the fourth spot in the SUNYAC playoffs with SUNY Geneseo and Buffalo State, who both have a 4-3 conference record. During the season Oswego State defeated the Bengals 3-0, and the Knights defeated the Lakers 3-2. The Oct. 21 match between Geneseo and Buffalo State could decide the seeding of the final three postseason positions.

The Lakers take on SUNY New Paltz Oct. 21 on the road, the team who is currently the third seed in the playoffs. If they can pull off a victory, it would be their fifth conference win of the season. Meanwhile, the winner of the Bengals vs. Knights match will also have five victories, although if the Knights win they would then have the head-to-head match advantage over the Lakers. If Buffalo State wins, the Lakers would then have the advantage because of their win against the Bengals earlier this season.

As the regular season comes to an end, Oswego State hopes to finish strong and earn its first postseason berth since 2019.

Photo via Oswego Athletics