Brewers Top Lehman, Fall to Montclair State

MONTCLAIR, NJ – The Vassar College women’s volleyball team, playing without sophomore Jane McLeod for the first time in her career, were able to pick up a split in non-conference action Saturday afternoon from Panzer Athletic Center at Montclair State University. Vassar topped Lehman College with scores of 25-9, 25-7 and 25-11 before dropping a 25-19, 25-22 and 23 decision to host Montclair State.

Vassar 3, Lehman 0

The Brewers hit .517 on the match with Lehman, finishing 36 of their 60 attempts to blow by the Lightning in the first match of the day. Vassar trailed for just the opening point in the first set, earning the next seven points to take a 7-1 lead. Up 20-9 in the first game, Vassar posted the last five points, as the stretch was started and finished by kills from sophomore Jennifer Kerbs.

In the second period, Vassar led 8-5 early but an 8-0 run powered by kills from Kerbs and junior Devan Gallagher pushed VC up 16-5. The Brewers finished the set with seven consecutive points, as sophomore Emily Overman tallied two terminations during the run as VC doubled its lead to a pair of games. Vassar hit .923 in the second set, finishing 12 of its 13 attack attempts.

In the third, Lehman (0-8) scored the first four points but Vassar (8-3) responded with nine of the next 10 points including a kill by junior Lydia Bailey to finish the spurt. VC would post 14 kills over the final set to roll to the straight set win.

Kerbs finished with eight kills on 11 attempts, hitting .727 for the match, while junior Lauren Ninkovich chalked up seven terminations, three service aces and three digs. Overman posted kills on all but one of her seven total attacks, and Annie MacMillan registered three kills, 30 assists and four digs. Gallagher added five kills and two of Vassar’s 14 service aces on the match.

Montclair State 3, Vassar 0

The Brewers hit .154 for the match against Montclair State, the second-lowest hitting percentage on the season, but nine service errors and seven reception errors doomed Vassar. In the opening set, MSU (6-3) led for the entire game as the Red Hawks were lifted by six kills in the stanza from Jillian Wilson.

The second set was nip and tuck through the first 16 points, but VC took a three-point lead at 11-8 following an attack error by Montclair State. MSU put together a 4-0 run to take a 13-12 lead, but VC answered with four straight points to take a 16-13 lead and force a Red Hawk timeout. Leading 18-15, Montclair State rallied with an 8-1 run to take a 23-19 edge.

Vassar trimmed the Red Hawk advantage to 24-22 after back-to-back terminations by Gallagher, but an April DiAngelo kill doubled MSU’s match lead.

In the third set, Vassar trailed 10-5 but posted six points in a row, four on attacking errors by the home team. VC continued to lead at 22-17, but the home team tallied eight of the final nine points to come from behind for the win.

Gallagher led all hitters with 14 kills on 30 swings, adding 17 digs as well as three assists.

Sophomore Colette Cambey contributed eight kills, while junior Annie MacMillan finished with a double-double of 30 assists, 10 digs and three aces. Sophomore libero Jorden Schreeder added 10 digs, and senior Bria Corham contributed six kills and five digs.