Manhattan University Athletics

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – In an early showdown for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the Manhattan College volleyball team (8-5, 2-1 MAAC) dropped a 25-18, 25-21, 25-18 decision to Marist (12-2, 4-0 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.  The loss snapped Manhattan's two-match winning streak.

Marist scored the first four points of the match and led 10-6 after an Amanda Schlegel service ace.  The Red Foxes extended their advantage to 12-7 before Manhattan started a comeback on a Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) kill.  Another McGuinness kill tied it at 16-16, but Marist responded with six straight points to open up a 22-16 advantage, and the Red Foxes took the set by a 25-18 margin.

It was more of the same in the second set, as Marist took an early 7-3 lead and extended that advantage to 14-8.  With the Red Foxes in front 22-16, the Jaspers went on a 5-1 rally to pull within two, 23-21.  However, Marist got a kill from Kelsey Lahey, then a block by Lahey and Marisa Gilbert to finish off the set, 25-21.  The Jaspers hit a solid .323 (14 kills, four errors, 31 attempts) in the second set, while the Marist offense was even better, posting a .400 (17-3-35) hitting percentage.

There were three early ties in the third set before the Red Foxes used a 6-1 run to turn a 4-4 deadlock into a 10-5 advantage.  Manhattan gradually chipped away, pulling within two when a Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) ace made it 16-14.  However, Marist responded with eight of the next 11 points to reach match point at 24-17.  A kill by Mackenzie Stephens finished off the set win, 25-18, and Marist's eighth straight victory overall.

Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) and Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) recorded nine kills apiece to pace the Jaspers.  Van Dyk also tallied 11 digs.  McGuinness had a match-high 15 digs and Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) added 12 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Red Foxes 47-46.  Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) handed out 29 assists for Manhattan, which hit .164 (36-18-110) as a team.

For Marist, Gilbert led the way with 10 kills on a scorching .714 hitting, while Stephens had nine kills and hit .353.  She also posted three blocks.  Courtney Shaw, meanwhile, recorded three blocks on .375 hitting and added two blocks.  Schlegel finished with 36 assists and three aces.  Brooke Zywick returned 13 digs and Gena Russo contributed 11 digs for the Red Foxes.  As a team, Marist hit .304 (42-11-102) in the victory.