Lakers Dominate Season Openers in Volleyball and Soccer

The Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) sports teams have kicked off their 2025 season with impressive performances in both women’s volleyball and men’s soccer.

The women’s volleyball team, ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA DIII preseason poll, showcased their skills at the NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament. The men’s soccer team started strong too, dominating their opener with a resounding victory.

Women’s Volleyball: A Strong Start at the NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament

The FLCC women’s volleyball team began their 2025 campaign with a string of tough matches against some of the nation’s top teams.

They competed in the NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament in Rockford, Illinois, and finished with a 2-2 record. That says a lot about their potential and grit already.

Match Highlights

The tournament started with a tough match against No. 2 College of DuPage. Despite putting up a fight, the Lakers fell 3-1 with set scores of 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, and 25-20.

• Allyson St. Germain: 9 kills
• Olivia Scheuer: 23 assists
• Aubrie Tomlinson and Emma Balduf: combined for 9 aces

Later that day, the Lakers bounced back and swept Kishwaukee, winning 25-15, 25-12, and 25-20.

• Anna Kurtzhalts: 6 kills on a .545 hitting percentage
• Addison Bardwell: 3 kills
• Olivia Scheuer: 18 assists and 4 aces

Continued Efforts and Final Matches

Saturday morning brought a matchup with Joliet Junior College. FLCC dropped the match 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22), but there were some standout stats:

• Anna Kurtzhalts: 13 kills on .435 hitting
• Kayce Hennekey: 7 kills at .538
• Olivia Scheuer: 25 assists and 8 digs

The Lakers wrapped up the tournament by sweeping Montcalm. They took the sets 25-17, 25-17, and 25-20.

• Anna Kurtzhalts: 10 kills on a .476 hitting percentage
• Kayce Hennekey: 7 kills
• Jackie Neureuter, Emma Balduf, and Olivia Scheuer: combined for 9 aces

Kurtzhalts led the team through the weekend with 36 kills across four matches. Scheuer added 88 assists and 8 service aces.

Geneva graduate Natalie Dunham made her collegiate debut, finishing with 6 kills, a solo block, and 3 block assists.

Men’s Soccer: A Dominant Season Opener

The FLCC men’s soccer team made a statement in their opener against Frederick Community College down in Maryland.

The Lakers rolled to an 8-0 win, showing off some serious offensive firepower and a rock-solid defense.

First-Half Dominance

Robin Giesing, from Essen, Germany, wasted no time and scored less than three minutes into the match. He wasn’t done—he netted two more for a hat-trick.

• Nathan Salter: 2 goals
• Lennart Schaefer: 1 goal
• Varun Naidoo: 1 goal

By halftime, FLCC led 6-0. The game felt pretty much decided at that point.

Second-Half Insurance

The Lakers didn’t let up after the break. Bautista Suarez added a goal, and Giesing finished his hat-trick with a late strike in the 84th minute.

• Bautista Suarez: 1 goal
• Robin Giesing: completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 84th minute

The team spread the ball around, too. Assists came from:

• Bernardo Reffiel Del Castel: 2 assists
• Finn Atkinson, Pierre Essama, Owen Schuessler, and Noah Gouveia Pflüger: 1 assist each

Freshman goalkeeper Joshua Koobs, from Leverkusen, Germany, kept things tidy in net and turned away both shots he faced for the clean sheet.

Looking Ahead

Both the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer teams at FLCC have kicked off their seasons with strong starts. There’s a real sense that this could be an exciting year for FLCC athletics.

The women’s volleyball team hopes to keep building on their early performances as the season unfolds. Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team is gearing up for their home opener against St. John Fisher University JV, aiming to keep their momentum rolling.