MSMC Drops Straight Set Decisions to NP, Hunter

MAHWAH NJ – The Mount Saint Mary College Women’s Volleyball team opened play at the 2016 Roadrunner Invitational hosted by Ramapo with a pair of 3-0 losses on Friday. The Knights fell to New Paltz 16-25, 17-25, 20-25 in their first match of the day, before closing play on day one of the event with a 19-25, 21-25, 19-25 loss to Hunter.

The lead never changed in Friday’s opener and the score was tied just twice in each of the first two sets of the match. The Knights were held to a -.062 attack percentage in the opener and managed just 14 kills against 19 errors.

Senior Rachel Sabatini led the Mount with four kills against the Hawks, adding a service ace and seven digs. Freshman Morgan Burke finished the New Paltz match with three winners and added a block for the Knights.

Freshman Madelyn Barberan reached double-figures in digs for the third straight match and fifth time this season with a team-high 10 in the contest and added an ace and an assist. Kristen Maddock finished of the match with nine assists and three digs.

New Paltz was led by nine kills from Anna Paulik who also led the team with a match-high 13 digs. Meghan Keyes recorded eight winners and hit .636 for the Hawks, while Maddie Zwickl handed out a match-high 28 assists. Veronica Matedero led all players with three service aces in the contest.

Overall, New Paltz finished the match with a 38-14 advantage in kills and an 8-3 edge in service aces. Total team blocks in the contest were even at 3-3.

The Hunter match featured 17 ties and six lead changes, including 15 ties and five lead changes over the final two frames. The largest lead in the second set was four points by the Knights, at 8-4 in the early going, and then by Hunter at 21-17. Hunter went on to score three of the final four points in the frame to take a 2-0 lead in the contest.

In the third set, the Knights took advantage of consecutive Hunter miscues to pull in front 12-10, but a four point run late in the set from Hunter moved the Hawks in front 22-18 on a Miranda Hogan service ace. A Burke winner to make it 22-19 would be the Mount’s final point of the match, as Hunter reeled off seven of the final eight points of the third set to claim the contest.

Sabatini paced the Knights for the second straight match with nine kills, while Angelia Cirigliano, Megan Williams and Burke all finished with five winners. Williams led the Knights with three total blocks and Cirigliano lifted seven digs.

Maddock wrapped up the match with 23 assists for the Mount and four digs, while Barberan led the team with nine digs. Junior Jackie Survilla closed the contest with a team-high two service aces.

Hunter received 14 kills from Julia Connolly and 10 winners from Taylor Kurr-Haiduk in the win. Kerr-Haiduck finished a double-double with a match-high 15 digs, while Breanna Banske handed out a team-high 21 assists. Hogan led all players with three aces and contributed seven digs.

Hunter closed the tilt with a 30-26 edge in kills and an 8-5 advantage in service aces.  Mount Saint Mary held a slim 3-2 advantage in total team blocks.

Following Friday’s results, Mount Saint Mary falls to 2-10 overall on the season.