Plattsburgh State's Iris Mulvey (10) and Augustina White (9) raise up for the double block on Potsdam State's Sarah Ruffos (9) in the straight-set win. 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

Potsdam State's Isabella Miller (6) with the hard serve for the Bears' ace. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Darby Collyear (3) with the services aces that she sends down the line for the point. 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 Isabella Gracias (14) with the spike over the defender for the Hawks score.Gallery

Russell Sage's Cassidy Weiher (12) with one of her 21 sets at the net to set up the Gators points. 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

Plattsburgh State's Iris Mulvey (10) jumps for one of her seven kills on the match as the Cardinals fall at home. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Liya Girma (2) gets up above the attacker and gets the two-hand block on the attacker. It would be the second of the day for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals on the Tri-Match day at home as they would take on the Anna Maria Amcats to decide who would be the better team of the three on the day. The match would start well for the home Cardinals as they would win the first game by a score of 25-8. In the second game, it would be more of the same for the Cardinals as they would win that as well cruising away with a 25-13 game. The third set would be harder though as it would come down to wire and the Cardinals would get the last 4 straight points to secure the 25-23 victory and the straight set victory and win both matches on the day to go to 3-9 on the season. In the winning effort for the Cardinals, Iris Mulvey would lead the way with 15 points and 13 kills. They will look to continue their winning ways as they go on the road next weekend to take on the RIT Tigers and the St Lawerence Saints both matches at St Lawerence.Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Kyleigh Ganz (5) with the flip shot at the net for the point. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Anabella Almeida (12) with the set as the waiting spiker is ready to send it over. The Plattsburgh State Cardinals would have their first of two matches on the day as they would on the winless SUNY Poly from the Empire 8. The first game of the match would be a see-saw affair but the home Cardinals would come out on top in the end with a 25-21 win. In the second game, the Cardinals would have an easier go of it and would take the two sets to zero lead with a 25-11 victory. Then in the third set, the Cardinals would be able to handle their business and take the third game 25-14 win and get the straight-set victory. In their winning effort, Iris Mulvey would lead the way with 11 points and have 9 kills. They will take on the Anna Maria Amcats in their next match. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Darby Collyear (3) with the spike between a pair of defenders as part of a 6-point afternoon.Gallery