Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – One day after moving into first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the Manhattan College volleyball team (16-10, 9-3 MAAC) suffered a 25-19, 25-19, 26-24 setback against Marist (14-8, 8-4 MAAC) on Sunday evening. The match took place at the Sharp Center on the campus of the College of Mount St. Vincent.
Playing a home match at the Sharp Center for the second straight day, the Jaspers fell behind early in the first set. Marist jumped out to a 7-4 advantage before Manhattan rallied to get within one, 9-8, on a block by Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany). The Red Foxes countered with a 6-3 spurt to run their lead back to four at 15-11, but the Jaspers again chipped away, tying the score at 18-18 on a Kitlar kill. However, Marist scored the next point to regain the lead, then got back-to-back service aces from Lexi Millington to spark a set-ending 7-1 run. Marist took the frame by a 25-19 margin.
The Red Foxes carried that momentum into the second set, quickly jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Manhattan rallied to tie it at 5-5 on a kill by Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) before Marist claimed four of the next five points to go up 9-6. Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) then slammed a kill on the next point to ignite a 7-2 Manhattan rally that gave the Jaspers a 13-11 lead. Marist scored the next six points, though, and eventually opened up a six-point advantage at 21-15. After the Jaspers won the next three points to get back within 21-18, the Red Foxes ended the set on a 4-1 run to claim a 25-19 triumph and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, Manhattan took a 9-6 advantage before Marist responded with a 12-4 run that gave the Red Foxes an 18-13 cushion. With Marist leading 23-17, Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) smashed a kill to start a 5-0 rally that brought the Jaspers back within one, 23-22. The Red Foxes took the next point to reach match point, but Wiekamp and Volovski countered with kills to force another tie score at 24-24. Marist got to match point again on a kill by Mackenize Stephens, and this time the Red Foxes converted. Marist won the third set 26-24 to wrap up a 3-0 match victory. It was Manhattan's first three-set loss since Sept. 22, a span of 11 matches.
Volovski paced the Jaspers with 12 kills, while Wiekamp tallied 11 kills. Kitlar added eight kills, six digs and four blocks. Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) distributed 28 assists, and McGuinness and Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) collected 14 digs apiece. The Jaspers outdug the Red Foxes 51-48 and hit .142 (39 kills, 22 errors, 120 attempts) as a team.
Stephens recorded a match-high 13 kills on .407 hitting for the Red Foxes. Audra Brady had 31 assists to go along with four blocks, while Marisa Gilbert tallied five blocks, as Marist outblocked Manhattan 8-4. The Red Foxes also held a 5-1 advantage in aces, with Millington serving three aces and adding eight digs. Brooke Zywick finished with a match-high 16 digs. As a team, Marist hit .200 (37-15-110) in the match.
Despite the loss, the Jaspers remain tied for first place in the MAAC with six matches remaining in the regular season. Manhattan returns to Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup with Canisius (10-13, 8-4 MAAC). The Jaspers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Griffs when the sides met in Buffalo on Oct. 6.