Box Score
SAN JOSE, CA – In its first match of the 2016 season, the Manhattan College volleyball team (0-1) suffered a 3-0 defeat against UMass Lowell (1-0) at the Spartan Invitational on Friday afternoon. The Jaspers fell to the RiverHawks by a 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 count at San Jose State's Spartan Gym.
Manhattan scored seven of the first nine points before UMass Lowell rallied to draw even at 10-10, the second of six tie scores in the first set. After the Jaspers went up 16-14 on a Mary Donnelly (Temecula, CA) kill, the RiverHawks went on a 6-0 spurt to take a 20-16 advantage. A Donnelly kill brought Manhattan back within three at 20-17, but UMass Lowell ended the set on a 5-0 run to cap a 25-17 win.
The RiverHawks went up 3-1 to start the second set, but the Jaspers countered with three points of their own, taking a 4-3 lead on a kill by Donnelly. UMass Lowell eventually pulled in front 14-10 before consecutive Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia) kills, followed by a Kostic and Kenza Hall (Oakland, CA) block trimmed Manhattan's deficit to one, 14-13. The Jaspers would pull no closer, though, as UMass Lowell scored the next three points to go back up by four, 17-13, and the margin reached five points at 20-15. The RiverHawks captured the frame by a 25-17 count to take a 2-0 match lead.
After Head Coach Mark Jones made some lineup changes, the Jaspers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the third set. However, UMass Lowell responded with a 7-2 run of its own to knot the score at 9-9. The RiverHawks eventually opened up a 19-17 lead before Manhattan scored the next two points to level things at 19-19, the eighth and final deadlock of the set. UMass Lowell rallied for the next five points to go up 24-19, and the Jaspers fought off two match points before the RiverHawks closed out the set, 25-21, to finish off a 3-0 match victory.
Donnelly paced the Jaspers with 10 kills, while Kostic hit .375, smashing seven kills and committing just one error. Taylor Hasley (Memphis, TN) handed out 12 assists, and Zoe Lindsey (McHenry, IL) distributed eight assists. Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, VA) and Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, HI), meanwhile, led the squad with six digs apiece. As a team, Manhattan hit .194 (25 kills, 11 errors, 72 attempts) in the match.
Madi Bell had nine kills to lead the RiverHawks. Lauren Bennett added eight kills and Masha Yelsukova tallied seven kills. Delaney Mendez dished out 16 assists, and Alexa Toth contributed 15 assists to go along with three service aces. Lindsey Visvardis served four aces, as UMass Lowell held a 10-4 advantage in that category. Katherie Claybaugh, meanwhile, returned a match-high 12 digs. The RiverHawks outdug the Jaspers 32-24 and hit .305 (39-14-82) as a unit.
On Saturday, the Jaspers return to action with a pair of matches. Manhattan faces Providence at 2 p.m. ET, then meets host San Jose State at 10 p.m. ET. The Friars and Spartans squared off later on Friday.