Box Score
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Manhattan College volleyball team used a dominant offensive performance to snap its four-match losing streak on Saturday morning. The Jaspers (6-5) hit a combined .349 (39 kills, 10 errors, 83 attempts) as a team in a 25-20, 25-11, 25-17 victory over North Carolina Central (0-11) in the UMES Fall Fling at the Hytche Center.
There were five ties early in the first set before the Jaspers used a 4-0 run to turn a 6-4 deficit into an 8-6 advantage. North Carolina Central pulled within one at 11-10, but a Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) kill started a 4-1 rally that made it 15-11. After the Eagles cut the margin to two at 21-19, Van Dyk slammed another kill to spark another 4-1 spurt that clinched the set, 25-20. The Jaspers hit .455 in the frame, pounding 17 kills and committing just two errors in 33 attempts.
Manhattan never trailed in the second set. The Jaspers scored the first seven points of the stanza and opened up a 13-3 advantage on a kill by Casey Monroe (Riverview, Fla.). The margin reached 12 points at 19-7, and Manhattan cruised to a 25-11 set win.
In the third set, the Jaspers jumped out to a 4-2 lead before North Carolina Central responded with a 4-1 run to go ahead 6-5. However, Manhattan countered with an 8-3 spurt, opening up a 13-9 advantage on a block by Monroe and Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii). After the Eagles trimmed their deficit to three at 19-16, a pair of Van Dyk kills started a five-point rally that brought Manhattan to match point, and the Jaspers took the set by a 25-17 count to close out the 3-0 victory.
Van Dyk paced the Jaspers with 13 kills, while Monroe added nine kills and three blocks. Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) contributed six kills and five digs, and Behrens registered five kills and three blocks. Making her first start of the season, Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) finished with 31 assists and eight digs. Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) returned a match-high 12 digs, as Manhattan outdug North Carolina Central 39-29.
For the Eagles, Kelsey Murphy led the way with 11 kills. Casey Curran handed out 20 assists, while Marilyn Sherbondy tallied a team-best eight digs. As a team, North Carolina Central hit .043 (25-21-93) in the match.
Later on Saturday, the Jaspers conclude the tournament with a 6 p.m. matchup against host Maryland Eastern Shore (8-0). It will be Manhattan's final contest prior to the start of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
