Box Score
BUFFALO, NY – The Manhattan College volleyball team got outstanding production from its middle blockers on Saturday. Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, HI) and Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia) each slammed 16 kills, and the pair combined to hit .388 in the match. However, that was not enough to lead the Jaspers to victory, as Manhattan (5-15, 2-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) suffered its second five-set loss in three matches, dropping a 25-16, 21-25, 31-33, 25-21, 15-9 decision to Canisius (4-12, 2-5 MAAC) at the Koessler Athletic Center.
Behrens and Kostic were responsible for more than half of Manhattan's 61 kills in the match. Zoe Lindsey (McHenry, IL) had a double-double with 48 assists and 11 digs, while Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) finished with nine kills and 15 digs. Olyvia Chaltas (Temecula, CA) and Sandra Lozanova (Pernik, Bulgaria) each contributed eight kills, and Lozanova added 11 digs. Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, HI), meanwhile, recorded a match-high 20 digs. Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, VA) tallied 10 digs for the Jaspers, who hit .219 (22 errors, 178 attempts) as a team.
Four Griffs registered double-digit kills, led by 19 apiece from Jacklyn Malusa and Katlyn Tyler. Tyler also tallied 15 digs and five blocks. Sara Wesley finished with 18 kills and eight blocks, while Carly Shifflet had a double-double with 12 kills and 18 digs. Cassidy Ceriani recorded a double-double of her own with 61 assists and 12 digs. Kristen Plukas, meanwhile, contributed 11 digs and seven assists. Canisius outblocked Manhattan 10-3 and held a 77-71 advantage in digs. As a team, the Griffs hit .272 (75-26-180) in the match.
Canisius used a 6-1 run midway through the first set to open up a 12-8 lead. After the Griffs increased the margin to seven points at 19-12, back-to-back Manhattan points brought the Jaspers back within five. However, Canisius countered with a 3-0 spurt to push its advantage back to eight points, 22-14, and the Griffs took the opening frame by a 25-16 count.
After Manhattan went up 4-1 in the second set, Canisius rattled off five straight points to pull ahead 6-4. The Jaspers responded with 11 of the next 15 points, though, and took a 15-10 lead on a Kostic service ace. Canisius rallied within one at 21-20, but a Janjusevic kill sparked a 4-1 rally that gave Manhattan the set, 25-21, and evened the match at 1-1.
There were 14 ties and seven lead changes in the third set. Canisius built a 13-10 cushion before Manhattan countered with an 11-5 run to go up 21-18. The Griffs then went on a 6-2 spurt to reach set point at 24-23. Lozanova denied that opportunity with a kill, then Kostic slammed another at 25-24. Behrens and Lindsey then combined on a block to give the Jaspers their first set point chance at 26-25. Canisius tied it on a Tyler kill and would go on to have five more set points. The Jaspers responded each time, though, and finally got their second try at closing the set at 32-31. This time, Manhattan finished the job, as Kostic found the floor to wrap up a 33-31 win.
As a team, the Jaspers ripped 22 kills and hit .321 (four errors, 56 attempts) in the third set. Individually, Behrens had nine kills without an error, while Kostic crushed seven kills on just one error.
In the fourth set, Canisius quickly raced out to a 5-1 advantage before the Jaspers battled back to cut their deficit to one, 7-6. Manhattan was never able to tie the score, though, as the Griffs countered every Jaspers rally. Canisius claimed the set by a 25-21 margin to force a decisive frame.
Manhattan scored the first two points of the final stanza, then Lozanova roped a kill to break a 3-3 deadlock. It was 7-7 when Janjusevic smashed a kill to give the Jaspers an 8-7 advantage at the change of ends. Canisius scored the next two points go up 9-8 before another Janjusevic kill knotted the score at 9-9. However, that would prove to be Manhattan's last point of the match, as the Griffs ended the contest on a 6-0 spurt. Canisius secured its third straight home win over the Jaspers by taking the fifth set, 15-9.
On Sunday, Manhattan concludes its Western New York swing with a 1 p.m. matchup at Niagara (6-13, 4-3 MAAC). The Jaspers have won nine straight against the Purple Eagles.