Manhattan University Athletics

Box Score

2012 Manhattan Volleyball Yearbook 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Knowing that it needed a win to keep pace at the top of the jumbled Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings, the Manhattan College volleyball team summoned some more of its fifth-set magic on Saturday afternoon.  After dropping the first two sets, the Jaspers (13-10, 8-4 MAAC) rallied for a 24-26, 20-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-9 victory over Iona (6-17, 3-8 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium.  It was Manhattan's second comeback from 0-2 down this season, and the Jaspers moved to 16-4 in five-set matches since the start of the 2010 campaign.

"We've had several comebacks like that in this gym," Head Coach Mark Jones said.  "We did a good job between sets two and three.  We came back with a different game plan and did a great job executing it."

Manhattan jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first set and extended that advantage to 11-4 before Iona started to chip away.  The Gaels eventually pulled even at 18-18, but the Jaspers rallied for the next four points to go ahead 22-18.  However, Iona responded with a 6-0 run to reach set point.  Juliana Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) slammed a kill to fight off one set point opportunity, then a kill by Mariana Furquim (Curitiba, Brazil) evened the score at 24-24.  Iona reached set point again on a kill by Taylor Cembalisty, and the Gaels claimed the next point, as well, to finish off the set, 26-24.

Iona carried that momentum into set two, quickly building a 4-0 cushion.  The Gaels extended their lead to six points at 13-7, but Manhattan got back within three on a Furquim kill that made it 18-15.  That's as close as the Jaspers would get, though, as the Gaels took the set by a 25-20 margin to take a 2-0 lead in the match.  Iona hit .351 (16 kills, three errors, 37 attempts) in the set.

The Gaels raced out to an early lead again in the third set.  However, after Iona went in front 5-1, Manhattan scored nine of the next 11 points to open up a 10-7 advantage of its own.  Iona evened the score at 12-12, but the Jaspers responded with a 10-2 run to take a 22-14 edge.  A kill by Furquim ended the set, which Manhattan won by a 25-17 count.  Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) had seven of Manhattan's 15 kills in the set, and the Jaspers hit .308 (15-3-39) as a team in the frame.

In the fourth set, Iona again took an early lead, using a 5-0 run to open up an 8-2 advantage.  However, the Jaspers responded by claiming 10 of the next 13 points to go up 12-11.  Iona immediately countered, going on a 4-1 rally to go back in front, 15-13.  Wiekamp slammed a kill to even the score at 16-16, then teamed with Behrens on a block that put Manhattan in front 17-16.  After Iona won the next point to tie it, another Wiekamp kill started a 5-0 Manhattan run that gave the Jaspers a 22-17 cushion.  Manhattan held on for a 25-19 set win that brought the match into a decisive fifth frame.

Furquim started the final set with a kill, and Manhattan led 2-0 before Iona rallied to take a 4-3 advantage of its own.  However, an Iona service error tied the score, and Behrens slammed a kill on the next point to put the Jaspers back in front.  The Manhattan spurt eventually reached 6-1, giving the Jaspers a 9-5 lead.  Iona wouldn't score consecutive points again for the remainder of the set, and Manhattan reached match point on a kill by Furquim.  Fittingly, it was Wiekamp who ended it, as her 20^th kill of the match finished off the comeback, 15-9.  The Jaspers didn't commit an attack error in the entire fifth set, hitting a scorching .478 (11 kills, 23 attempts) as a team in the final stanza.

"We definitely like to win in five," Wiekamp said.  "We just had a tough start, but we pulled it together as a team.  It was a full team effort."

Wiekamp was the offensive star for Manhattan.  She pounded a career-high 20 kills and committed only three errors, hitting .362 in the match.  Wiekamp added 10 digs to complete a double-double.  Furquim also had a double-double with 18 kills and 15 digs, while Jamie Collareta (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) tallied 49 assists and 15 digs.  Behrens collected 11 kills on .429 hitting and also posted three blocks.  Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.) recorded a match-high 26 digs, including the 1,000^th of her career, and Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) finished with 17 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Gaels 91-86.  Manhattan hit .238 (67-21-193) in the match, including .311 (39-7-103) over the final three sets.

Alicja Pawelec led Iona with 18 kills.  She also tallied 18 digs.  Cembalisty finished with 15 kills and four blocks, while McKenzie Humann posted nine kills on .400 hitting to go along with eight blocks.  Natalie Ziskin handed out a team-high 33 assists and Caris Myles contributed 21 assists.  Theresa Harvey notched a team-high 23 digs, and Madisyn Spence had 21 digs and nine kills for Iona.  The Gaels outblocked the Jaspers 12-4 and hit .179 (62-28-190) as a team.

"The win was very important for us," Jones said.  "There are so many teams from two thru five that it can go either way, so it was important for us to stay in the mix.  Tomorrow with Fairfield is going to be another important match."

"We're right on the verge to make it to MAACs along with three or four other teams," Wiekamp added.  It's very close this year, so to take this win against such a good team is a big deal.  It puts us in a good position for tomorrow."