Box Score
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – After falling behind two-sets-to-one and 11-1 in the fourth, the Manhattan College volleyball team mounted an incredible comeback, taking the set by a 37-35 count before dominating the fifth to post a 22-25, 25-21, 16-25, 37-35, 15-5 victory over Niagara (1-16, 0-6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) at the Gallagher Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, their fourth straight, the Jaspers (11-7, 5-1 MAAC) moved into a tie for first place in the MAAC with idle Siena.
The sides traded runs throughout the first set. Manhattan took an early 6-3 lead before Niagara countered with a 6-1 rally to go in front 9-7. However, the Jaspers responded with a 7-3 spurt to open up a 14-12 advantage. With Manhattan leading 18-16, the Purple Eagles went on an 8-3 run to pull ahead 24-21, and Niagara held on to win the set by a 25-22 count.
There were 15 ties and 10 lead changes in the second set. Manhattan had a 12-11 advantage before Niagara went on a 4-1 spurt to go up 15-13. However, Juliana Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) pounded a kill on the next point to start a 5-1 Manhattan run that gave the Jaspers an 18-16 cushion. The Purple Eagles scored the next three points to regain the lead, 19-18, but Erin Weis (Omaha, Neb.) responded with a kill to begin another Jasper rally. Manhattan reached set point after back-to-back Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) service aces made it 24-20, and a Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) kill wrapped up the set, 25-21.
In the third set, Manhattan broke open a 3-3 deadlock with a 10-5 run, making it 13-8. However, Niagara ended the frame on a 17-3 rally, and the Purple Eagles took a 2-1 lead in the match with the 25-16 set win.
Niagara then scored 11 of the first 12 points in the fourth set. A Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) kill started Manhattan's comeback, though, as the Jaspers rallied for nine straight points to get back within one, 11-10. Manhattan eventually took a 16-14 lead on consecutive aces by Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) before the Purple Eagles countered with an 8-4 spurt to take a 22-20 advantage.
The Jaspers scored the next two points to even things at 22-22, and there would be 13 more ties before the set was finally decided. Niagara had seven match points and Manhattan had four set points during the span. After a kill by Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany) knotted the score at 35-35, the Jaspers reached set point once again on an ace by McGuinness. She then slammed a kill to end the frame, 37-35, and keep Manhattan alive.
The 37-35 score represents the deepest the Jaspers have gone into a set since setting an NCAA record with a 45-43 first-set win at Rider on Oct. 23, 2009.
Going into the fifth set with all the momentum, the Jaspers quickly jumped out to a 3-1 lead. After Niagara scored the next two points to tie it at 3-3, Behrens slammed a kill to spark a 6-0 Manhattan rally that put the Jaspers up 9-3. Chelsea Watson smashed a kill for Niagara to briefly halt the run, but Volovski responded with kill on the next point to start another 4-0 spurt. The Jaspers reached match point when Sarah Haselhorst's (Naperville, Ill.) ace made it 14-4, and a kill by McGuinness capped off the victory. Manhattan hit .385 (six kills, one error, 13 attempts) in the fifth set, winning by a 15-5 margin.
Kitlar recorded a match-high 17 kills for the Jaspers, while also tallying 14 digs and four blocks (three solo). McGuinness had a double-double of her own with 13 kills and 16 digs, and Volovski added 13 kills. Peric finished with 27 assists, three aces, seven digs and five kills on .625 hitting. Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) distributed 24 assists to go along with nine digs. Yamashiro notched 20 digs and Haselhorst contributed 12 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Purple Eagles 88-79. As a team, Manhattan hit .118 (68-44-203) in the match.
Amanda Sedore finished with 14 kills, 13 digs and three aces for Niagara. Alex Stone registered 12 kills, 11 digs and eight blocks, while Melissa McGwin had 10 kills, nine blocks and four aces. Logan Rae handed out 39 assists, and Allison Reis tallied a match-high 31 digs. The Purple Eagles recorded 15 blocks and hit .129 (46-24-171) as a team.
Manhattan concludes its Buffalo swing with a 1 p.m. matchup at Canisius (6-11, 4-2 MAAC) on Sunday. The Griffs defeated Iona in five sets on Saturday and have won five straight against the Jaspers.