Manhattan University Athletics

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan volleyball team fell to Iona in three straight sets on Saturday afternoon. The final scores for the sets were 25-22, 28-26, 25-12. 

Manhattan played Iona tough in the first two sets before seeing Iona pull away in set three. 

Set one was very exciting with Manhattan coming back from an eight-point deficit to come within three points at the end of the set. The Jaspers were down for the majority of the set with their largest deficit being 15-6. However, head coach Mauro Miletic gave the team a much-needed pep talk during a timeout that lead to them going on a scoring run that would earn them the next nine out of 10 points to come back within 24-21. Unfortunately, the Jaspers could not keep the run going as Iona took the set after a Manhattan service error. 

The second set saw the Jaspers come back with some vengeance. Manhattan went on an 11-6 scoring run to take a 14-10 lead. Seven kills came by Julia Menocal and Camila Gomez. Manhattan took the lead in the set to make the score 7-6, off of an explosive kill by Gomez. Manhattan maintained this lead until the Gales tied the score 23-23 at the end of the set. Jen Soto gave the Gaels the lead, 24-23, with a kill. The set then went past 25 with each team struggling to gain a two-point lead over the other. Iona got a block and a Manhattan error to take set 28-26. 

The leaders of the offense for Manhattan were Gomez, earning 15 kills and 16 points. Menocal also had 15 kills with four digs. Julieanne McKee had a massive 25 assists and six digs. The 25 assists for McKee are a new season-high. For the defense, Teresa Garza scored 11 digs.

Manhattan plays again on Wednesday, Oct. 19th at 7 p.m. against St. Peter's in Jersey City, N.J.