SUNY Orange are the Senators biggest rivals.  It's a friendly rivalry but both teams want to win at any cost.  The two teams are usually vying for the top spots in the Mid Hudson Conference and that only adds to the intensity.

This years second meeting lived up to the hype.  A two hour, 5 set match saw SUNY Orange emerge as the victor by the slimmest of margins.  The loss ended the Senators 7 match win streak and leaves them at 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the Mid Hudson Conference.

Coach Glenn Warnock believe's the loss could help them in the long run.  "This is the first time this year we've really faced any adversity.  We overcame deficits on three different times in this match, and just weren't able to get over the finish line.  Hopefully next time, with this experience in our back pocket, we will have enough fortitude to get it done".  

Warnock is referring to the back and forth nature of this contest.  Orange took the first set to go up 1-0.  Ulster fought back and tied it 1-1.  Orange once again took the lead with a win going up 2-1.  Again, with their backs against the wall Ulster fought back and evened it up at 2-2.  In the final set, which is played to only 15, Orange jumped out to an 8-1 lead.  An unheard of deficit to overcome in such a short set.  However Ulster fought all the way back, almost, Orange finally closed out the set and match at 15-12.  

Lexi Klinger, the Ulster Libero, who had a phenomenal night passing the ball and on defense, almost served them back into the match in the 5th set.  

Ulster, over matched offensively by Orange's two big hitters, used a mix of finesse, hustle and scrappy defense to keep this close.  Victoria Somer led the way with 18 digs but the rest of the team wasn't far behind.  Somer also led the team offensively with 9 Kills followed by Becca Leach with 8.  Leach also blocked a season high 4 balls back against the best hitter in the conference.  

The Senators hope to dust themselves off and grow from this experience for their next conference rival Rockland, whom they travel to on 10/8/19 for a match that could determine the top seed in the Mid Hudson Conference Tournament.