Box Score
HAMDEN, CT – On Sunday afternoon, the Manhattan College volleyball team concluded its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) weekend of the season with a matchup at Quinnipiac. Unfortunately, though, it was the first-place Bobcats who came out on top, as Quinnipiac (13-5, 5-0 MAAC) notched a 25-19, 25-18, 25-10 triumph over the Jaspers (4-12, 1-2 MAAC) at Burt Kahn Gymnasium.
The teams traded points early on, as there were 10 ties in the first set. After Quinnipiac scored three straight points to turn a 12-12 deadlock into a 15-12 advantage, Manhattan responded with a pair to get within 15-14. The Bobcats countered with a 5-2 spurt, though, to go in front 20-16. Quinnipiac's lead reached five points at 23-18, and the Bobcats took the opening frame by a 25-19 count.
In the second set, the Bobcats went up 3-0 before Manhattan claimed four of the next five points to level things at 4-4. Quinnipiac used a 4-0 run to turn a 9-9 deadlock into a 13-9 cushion, but the Jaspers again responded, rattling off five of the next six points and tying the score at 14-14 on a Sandra Lozanova (Pernik, Bulgaria) kill. However, the Bobcats ended the stanza on an 11-4 spurt to notch a 25-18 win and go up 2-0 in the match.
Manhattan scored the first three points of the third set, but Quinnipiac immediately countered with an 11-point run to go up 11-3. The Bobcats closed out the set, 25-10, to secure their first win over the Jaspers since joining the MAAC.
Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia) hit .714 in the loss, slamming 10 kills without an error in 14 attempts. Lozanova ripped six kills on .312 hitting, while Olyvia Chaltas (Temecula, CA) also tallied six kills. Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) recorded a match-high nine digs, and Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, HI) added eight digs. Zoe Lindsey (McHenry, IL), meanwhile, notched 23 assists and eight digs. Manhattan posted a team hitting percentage of .198 (31-14-86).
Quinnipiac hit .430 (51-8-100) as a team and outdug the Jaspers 36-32. Elizabeth Kloos led the Bobcats with 12 kills on .706 hitting, while Jen Coffey also had 12 kills while hitting .435. Natalie Alechko recorded 10 kills on .529 hitting, and Allison Leigh finished with nine kills and six blocks. Maria Pansari handed out 40 assists to go along with five digs. Alejandra Rodriguez paced Quinnipiac with seven digs.
After playing 15 of their first 16 contests away from Draddy Gymasium, the Jaspers start a season-long three-match homestand on Wednesday night, when they take on Rider (7-9, 1-3 MAAC) at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the squads since Manhattan defeated the Broncs in the first round of last season's MAAC Tournament.