Skidmore College Athletics

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Catriona Hoelperl fired nine service aces and Skidmore opened the 2026 season with a 3-0 sweep of SUNY Oneonta, 25-17, 25-14, 25-21, Tuesday evening at Dewar Arena.

• Hoelperl accounted for nine of Skidmore's 14 aces while adding 16 assists, five digs and two kills. The Thoroughbreds committed just two service errors for the match. The host Red Dragons had seven.
• Natalie Pedersen led Skidmore with eight kills, while Cece Kilroy finished with six kills, six digs and two aces. Katy O'Connell put down three kills on four attacks without an error for a .750 hitting percentage.
• Marlowe McIntyre and Chloe Heitman shared the team lead with seven digs apiece. Skidmore finished with 37 digs and limited Oneonta to a .049 hitting percentage.
• Skidmore seized control immediately behind Hoelperl's serve. After scoring the opening point, the Thoroughbreds rattled off nine more with Hoelperl at the line to build a 10-0 lead. She delivered seven aces during the run and finished the opening set with eight as Skidmore took it, 25-17. The eight aces in the set are believed to be the most in program history. The three-set match record is 12.
• Oneonta pulled within 6-5 in the second before Skidmore answered. The Thoroughbreds stretched the margin to 16-7 behind a six-point run on Isobel Streeper's serve and rolled to a 25-14 win.
• The third set was the tightest of the night. Skidmore led 22-16 before the Red Dragons scored 5-of-6 to get within one. The Thoroughbreds responded with the final two points, with Kilroy supplying a kill before an Oneonta attack error clinched the sweep.
• Emma Morretta and Shea Landversicht led Oneonta with seven kills apiece. Morretta added four blocks, two solo, and hit .467 without an attack error.
• Skidmore has now defeated Oneonta three years in a row with now back-to-back sweeps.

 
UP NEXT: Skidmore heads to Springfield, for the Joseph B. Dearing Volleyball Classic. The Thoroughbreds open the tournament Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. against Keene State before facing Westfield State at 10:30 a.m. and host Springfield at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.