Another slow start did in the Tompkins Cortland Community College volleyball team on Tuesday as the Panthers dropped a 3-0 match at Jefferson Community College. The Panthers are now 1-2 overall and in the Mid-State Athletic Conference. Jefferson is 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the MSAC.

The opening set saw Jefferson steadily pull away from an early 4-4 tie to post a 25-14 win. In the first set the Panthers won just two service points, but the visitors opened the second set with a pair of aces by Adrianna Royce (Newfield/Newfield H.S.) en route to an early 3-0 lead. Jefferson answered with an 8-1 run to take an 8-4 lead, but the Panthers didn't fold, rebounding to get back to within a point at 10-9. Another Jefferson rally pushed the margin to six points as last as 19-13, but the Panthers put together a late run, making it a one-point game with Jefferson ahead 21-20. Two points by the Cannoneers were answered by two from the Panthers, with a kill by Madison Kelly (Moravia/Moravia H.S.) again pulling the Panthers to within one at 23-22.  A long rally on the next point ended with the home team ahead 24-22, but the Panthers again forced a side-out to pull within one, but set ended when Jefferson won the final point for the 25-23 decision.

The final set again saw the Panthers in an early hole, but a five-point run at the service line by Arianna Manwaring (Tioga/Tioga Central H.S.) leapfrogged the Panthers into the lead, 12-9. The lead stayed with Tompkins Cortland and stood at 17-15, but Jefferson scored four straight as part of an 8-1 run to take a 23-18 lead and control of the set, ultimately winning 25-20.

Kelly finished with 3 kills, 2 digs, and 2 assists. Royce had 5 assists, 2 aces, and 2 digs, and Manwaring had 3 digs and 2 kills. Hope Comfort (Cortland/Homer H.S.) led the team on the defensive side with 7 digs.