The Oswego State volleyball team traveled to Schenectady, NY, last weekend to compete in three games over two days at the Crosstown Challenge. The Lakers went 2-1 on the slate, putting through impressive showings in the trio of contests.

The first game against Union College went back and forth, but the Chargers spearheaded an overbearing offensive attack to come out on top, 3-2. The Chargers jumped out to an early 11-4 lead, and while the Lakers attempted to make a comeback, errors proved costly in the long run. Even with steady offensive contributions from Kalley Vugteveen and Grace Gdovin, the opponent’s momentum never slowed down, and the Chargers came out as victors, 25-13.

The Lakers altered their game plan to find footing in the second set. Winning plays from Priscilla McReynolds and Gigi Basile helped the team to take an early lead. The Chargers attempted to pull themselves back in it, but late heroics from Gdovin helped the Lakers lay claim to a 25-22 victory.

The third set mirrored what happened in the second. The game was tied eight separate times, but Mya Bush and Alaina Dudzinski came through to give the Lakers a late lead. The Chargers became their own worst enemy when they committed an error to give the Lakers the game-clinching point for a 25-23 win.

The Chargers upped the ante in the last two sets, taking a 12-3 lead early on in the fourth. Unfortunately for the Lakers, a comeback effort on their end was futile, and the Chargers took a 25-15 win. The fifth set saw the Lakers open up with an 11-8 lead; however, fatigue was the deciding factor, as the Chargers tacked on seven unanswered points to take a 15-11 victory, and start the weekend 1-0.

The Lakers found themselves able to breathe in the second match, when they handled business against Bethany College on Friday evening. The Bison controlled the tempo throughout the first set when they rolled out to a 15-6 lead. The Lakers did not go down without a fight, though, as Lauren Cropp punched through multiple service aces to give her team a late 24-23 lead. Unfortunately for her squad, a few miscues were the conclusive factor, and the Bison took a 26-24 victory.

The second and third sets were critical for the Lakers. Kills were piled on, and while some defensive struggles showed, Vugteveen came through as a key offensive piece for the team and helped them to come away with a 24-19 victory in the second set. Even more dominance was shown in the next, as they jumped out to a 16-8 lead. An offensive clinic set the tone, and a late service ace from Bush was the deciding factor in a 25-16 victory.

The fourth and final set saw a build on the established momentum, as an all-around effort from the Lakers helped to round out a 25-15 victory, and mark a split in their record as the Lakers headed into Saturday.

The Lakers controlled the tempo throughout the third and final game against Russell Sage on Saturday. While some adversity was faced in the first set, they held a lead throughout the whole fight, and walked away with a 25-20 victory. Both the second and third sets saw much of the same, with multiple momentum swings being had. Errors were the Gators’ Achilles’ heel, though, and the Lakers came away with a 25-23 victory in each of the two final sets. McReynolds, Vugteveen and Gdovin were a trio of beneficiaries for the Lakers, and they closed Saturday out on a sweep over the Empire 8 foe, to conclude their weekend with a record of 2-1, and strengthen their overall record to 7-2.

“We have had tremendous leadership from our upperclassmen this year and that has really kept us focused and energized,” head coach, Jon Stenman, said. “We have also gotten great starts from returning starters Mya Bush, Priscilla McReynolds and Kalley Vugteveen, as well as first-time starters Gigi Basile and Alaina Dudzinski, to help give us a balanced attack on offense.”

The Lakers are back in action this weekend to take on Brockport and Keuka College this Friday, in the Oswego State Invitational, followed by a pair of matches with Western Connecticut State and Utica University on Saturday to conclude the event.