Five-Set Struggle Goes to Siena

Box Score

RIVERDALE, NY – Last season in Riverdale, the Manhattan College volleyball team battled back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Siena in a five-set thriller.  The Jaspers and Saints squared off for the first time since that meeting on Saturday afternoon, and again the match went five.  Except this time, Siena came out on top.  Trailing 2-1, Manhattan (5-13, 2-3 MAAC) rallied to force a decisive frame before the Saints (4-11, 3-2 MAAC) took the fifth for a 16-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-27, 15-10 victory at Draddy Gymnasium.

After falling behind two sets-to-one, the Jaspers opened up an 8-5 lead early in the fourth set.  Siena rallied to pull ahead 10-9 before an Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia) kill started a 4-0 run that gave Manhattan a 13-10 advantage.  The margin eventually reached five points at 21-16, but Siena responded with a 4-1 spurt to cut its deficit to two, 22-20.  Manhattan reached set point when a kill by Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, HI) made it 24-21.  However, Siena fought off three set point opportunities to tie it at 24-24, then another at 25-24.  Finally, the Jaspers put away the frame, 27-25, on their fifth opportunity, sending the match to a decisive set.

In the final set, Manhattan raced out to a 3-1 lead before Siena countered with a 6-2 run to go up 7-5.  The Jaspers scored the next two points to tie it at 7-7, but the Saints claimed six of the next eight to build a 13-9 cushion.  After an Olyvia Chaltas (Temecula, CA) kill made it 13-10, Sonja Vasovic slammed a kill for Siena, bringing to Saints to match point.  Siena claimed the fifth set by a 15-10 count to take the match, 3-2.  Siena ended up with 106 total points to Manhattan's 105.

Kostic had another outstanding offensive match for the Jaspers.  She tallied 18 kills and hit .400 while also recording six blocks.  Over her last four matches, Kostic is averaging 3.36 kills per set on .513 hitting.

Chaltas also reached double-figures with 13 kills, while Sandra Lozanova (Pernik, Bulgaria) and Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) registered eight kills apiece.  Lozanova added a team-high 17 digs, and Janjusevic finished with 16 digs.  Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, HI) collected 16 digs, as well, and Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, VA) contributed 15 digs.  Zoe Lindsey (McHenry, IL), meanwhile, notched her second straight double-double with 47 assists and 10 digs.  As a team, the Jaspers hit .138 (54 kills, 29 errors, 181 attempts) in the match.

Manhattan hit a solid .296 (11-3-27) in taking the opening set.  Siena scored four of the first five points before a Lozanova kill started a 20-2 rally that she capped with a service ace, which made it 21-6 in favor of the Jaspers.  The Saints managed to get back within nine at 23-14, but Manhattan closed out an easy first set win, 25-16.

The Jaspers took an early 4-2 lead in the second set before Siena countered with a 4-2 spurt of its own to tie it at 6-6.  Chaltas ripped a kill on the next point to start a 10-5 Manhattan run that put the Jaspers up 16-11.  With Manhattan in front 20-17, Siena scored six consecutive points to go ahead 23-20.  Bobbi Lin Kalama then served an ace to give Siena a 25-21 set win and even the match at 1-1.

Siena claimed the first two points of the third set and eventually extended that margin to 17-9.  A Chaltas kill then started a 7-1 Manhattan rally that brought the Jaspers within two at 18-16.  However, Siena responded with a 6-2 run to reach set point.  Manhattan fought off four set point opportunities before the Saints finished off a 25-22 win that gave them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five.

Briana Flagg, last season's MAAC Player of the Year, tallied 20 kills and 17 digs for Siena.  She added four blocks.  Vasovic had a double-double of her own with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Haley Howell finished with 45 assists, 13 digs and five blocks.  Kalehua Katagiri recorded a match-high 25 digs, and Kalama notched 16 digs, as the Saints outdug the Jaspers 84-79.  Siena also held a 14-8 edge in blocks, with Samantha Pethokoukis contributing 10 stuffs, and hit .100 (57-38-190) as a team.