Plattsburgh State's Brooke Anderson (4) with the spike right in front of the net for one of her 4 kills on the day. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The final match of the 2026 Cardinal Classic featured a SUNYAC rivalry as the host Plattsburgh State Cardinals welcomed the Potsdam State Bears to Memorial Hall for a non-conference contest. With 270 passionate fans in attendance, the Cardinals entered the match looking to secure a share of first place in the tournament standings. From the opening serve, Plattsburgh State showed it was determined to finish the weekend on a high note. The Cardinals dominated the first set, overwhelming the Bears with strong serving and consistent offense in a decisive 25-9 victory. Potsdam put together a stronger effort in the second set, but Plattsburgh continued to dictate the pace of the match. The Cardinals remained in control throughout and pulled away for a 25-15 win, taking a commanding 2-0 lead into the intermission. Facing the possibility of a sweep, the Bears battled hard in the third set and made the Cardinals work for every point. Potsdam stayed within striking distance late in the frame, but Plattsburgh proved too strong down the stretch. The Cardinals closed out the set 25-22 to complete the three-set sweep and secure the 3-0 victory. The win improved Plattsburgh State to 2-1 on the weekend and created a three-way tie for first place in the final Cardinal Classic standings alongside Russell Sage and Hartwick. After dropping their tournament opener, the Cardinals responded with consecutive victories on the final day to earn a share of the title on their home court. For Potsdam State, the loss capped a difficult weekend. The Bears finished the tournament with a 0-3 record and fell to 1-4 overall on the season. With the victory, the Cardinals closed out the 2026 Cardinal Classic in impressive fashion, celebrating a tournament championship share in front of an enthusiastic Memorial Hall crowd. Gallery

Hartwick's Isabella Gracias (14) reaches up to get the block on Russell Sage's Allie Salvione (5). PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The final match of the Cardinal Classic featured a pair of Empire 8 Conference rivals as the Hartwick Hawks and Russell Sage Gators met in a non-conference showdown at Memorial Hall before a crowd of 250 spectators. Entering the match, Russell Sage was looking to complete an undefeated weekend and secure the tournament championship, while Hartwick sought to finish the event on a winning note. The Gators came out firing in the opening set, jumping out to a commanding 9-1 lead and appearing poised to take early control. Hartwick quickly regrouped and mounted an impressive comeback, erasing the deficit and pulling away late for a 25-23 victory to grab a 1-0 lead in the match. Russell Sage responded in the second set, once again getting off to a strong start. The Hawks battled back and kept the set close throughout, but the Gators held firm in extra points to earn a 26-24 victory and even the match at one set apiece. With the match tied, Hartwick turned in its strongest performance of the afternoon in the third set. The Hawks controlled play from the opening serve and cruised to a 25-18 win, moving ahead 2-1 and placing themselves one set away from victory. The fourth set proved to be another tightly contested affair as Russell Sage refused to go quietly. The Gators pushed Hartwick throughout the set, but the Hawks made the key plays down the stretch and secured a 25-23 victory to close out the match and claim the 3-1 win. Hartwick finished the weekend with a 2-1 record, while Russell Sage also concluded tournament play at 2-1, falling short of its bid for an undefeated weekend and the tournament title. Lucille Walker delivered a dominant performance for the Hawks, pacing the offense with 28 points. Russell Sage was led by Paige Kemmer, who finished with 15 points in the defeat. The victory allowed Hartwick to end the Cardinal Classic on a high note, as the Hawks overcame an early deficit and used strong play over the final three sets to earn a hard-fought victory over their Empire 8 counterpart. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Iris Mulvey (10) with the spike over the outstretched arms of Hartwick's Isabella Gracias (14) for the score. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Day two of the Cardinal Classic got Saturday morning underway at Memorial Hall as the host Plattsburgh State Cardinals squared off against the Hartwick Hawks in a non-conference volleyball matchup. With 225 fans in attendance, both teams entered the contest looking to improve to 2-0 on the day. The Cardinals struck first, taking the opening set 25-21 behind a strong all-around effort. Hartwick responded in the second set, matching the Cardinals' score with a 25-21 victory to even the match at one set apiece. Plattsburgh State regained momentum in the third set, once again earning a 25-21 win to move within one set of the match victory. The Cardinals then put together their most dominant performance of the morning in the fourth set, pulling away early and cruising to a 25-13 victory to secure the 3-1 match win. Liya Girma paced the Cardinals in the winning effort with 15 points as Plattsburgh State improved to 1-1 on the tournament weekend. The victory gave the Cardinals positive momentum heading into their final match of the Cardinal Classic later in the day. For Hartwick, Sophia Palladino led the Hawks with 10 points. The loss dropped Hartwick to 1-1 on the weekend as the Hawks looked to bounce back in their final tournament match against Russell Sage. Plattsburgh State was scheduled to close out tournament play against SUNY Potsdam in the final match of the day, while Hartwick prepared for its afternoon showdown with Russell Sage. Gallery

Hartwick's Lucille Walker (16) with the block on the spike attempt by Potsdam State's Noelle Redeye (13) as the Hawks get the straight-set victory. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The second match of opening day at the 2026 Cardinal Classic featured another SUNYAC versus Empire 8 showdown as the SUNY Potsdam Bears faced the Hartwick Hawks before 150 fans at Memorial Hall. The Hawks controlled the match from the outset, earning a convincing straight-set victory to open their season. Hartwick wasted little time establishing control in the first set, jumping out to a 5-2 advantage and never looking back. The Hawks maintained steady pressure throughout the frame and cruised to a 25-15 victory, taking an early 1-0 lead in the match. The second set followed a similar script as Hartwick raced out to a 4-0 advantage. Potsdam battled through the middle of the set and put together a strong five-point run late to make things interesting, but the Hawks stayed in control and secured a 25-21 win to move within one set of the match. Looking to close out the contest in straight sets, Hartwick delivered its most dominant performance of the evening in the third. The Hawks surged to a commanding 9-1 lead and never allowed the Bears back into contention. Hartwick maintained its advantage throughout the set before finishing off a 25-16 victory to complete the sweep. Lucille Walker led the way for the Hawks with 11 points, helping Hartwick begin the 2026 season with a 1-0 record. The victory also sets up a possible marquee matchup on Saturday against fellow opening-day winner Russell Sage, with early tournament bragging rights potentially on the line. For SUNY Potsdam, Ashlee Hagerman paced the offense with six points. The Bears fell to 1-2 on the season but will have an opportunity to bounce back during Day 2 action of the Cardinal Classic. Match Results Hartwick 3, SUNY Potsdam 0 Set 1: Hartwick 25, Potsdam 15 Set 2: Hartwick 25, Potsdam 21 Set 3: Hartwick 25, Potsdam 16 With opening-night action complete, both Russell Sage and Hartwick sit atop the tournament standings after straight-set victories, setting the stage for an intriguing second day of competition at the 2026 Cardinal Classic.Gallery

Russel Sage's Tessa Warner (15) with the tip at the net to send it back over. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The 2026 Cardinal Classic opened Friday night before a packed crowd at Memorial Hall as the host Plattsburgh State Cardinals welcomed the Russell Sage Gators of the Empire 8 Conference. Despite a pair of spirited late rallies, the Cardinals couldn't overcome early deficits as the Gators earned a 3-0 sweep to begin their season with a victory. Russell Sage came out strong in the opening set, building an early advantage and forcing the Cardinals to play from behind. Plattsburgh State refused to go quietly, however, finishing the set with a six-point run that nearly completed a dramatic comeback. The rally fell just short as the Gators held on for a narrow 25-23 victory and a one-set-to-none advantage. The second set followed a similar pattern. Russell Sage once again established control early, while the Cardinals spent much of the frame battling to close the gap. A late surge brought Plattsburgh State within striking distance, but the Gators remained composed in the closing moments and secured another 25-23 win to move within a set of victory. Facing a straight-set defeat, the Cardinals delivered their strongest start of the night in the third set, jumping out to an early lead and energizing the home crowd. Russell Sage gradually worked its way back into contention before overtaking Plattsburgh State during the latter stages of the set. The Gators closed out the match with a 25-21 victory, completing the sweep. Russell Sage was led by Emily Trama and Paige Kemmer, who each finished with 11.5 points in the winning effort as the Gators improved to 1-0 on the season. Plattsburgh State received balanced scoring from Darby Collyear, Liya Girma, and Brooke Anderson, who each recorded nine points. While the Cardinals dropped to 0-2, they showed resilience by battling back from deficits in each of the opening two sets and challenging the Gators deep into the contest. With the opening day complete, both teams will return to action on Saturday in Day 2 of the Cardinal Classic. Plattsburgh State will take on SUNY Potsdam, while Russell Sage will face Hartwick as tournament play continues Gallery