Namahoe's Double-Double Leads Volleyball By Molloy, 3-1
Box Score
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Oct. 10, 2013) - The sixth double-double of the season by senior middle blocker Makamae Namahoe (Hilo, Hawaii) led the LIU Post volleyball team to a 3-1 win over East Coast Conference foe Molloy Thursday night in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
As a result, the Pioneers moved to 14-4 on the season, and 6-1 in ECC action, while the Lions dropped to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
Molloy opened up the first set with four straight points, before a Namahoe kill got LIU Post on the board. The Pioneers battled to knot things up at 7-7 with 10 more tie scores to follow, until the visitors pulled away to score eight of the next 12 points to close out the first set, 25-21, on a service ace by sophomore Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii).
In the second stanza, the Lions, yet again, jumped out to an early lead (5-1), but the Pioneers were unable to regain a share of it until the scoreboard read 17-up. The home squad regained momentum, capping the set on an 8-3 run, securing the 25-20 win.
The Pioneers led by as many as 10 points on three separate occasions (19-9, 22-12, and 24-14), as they overwhelmed the Lions, 25-16, in the third set. The deciding point came off a kill by senior Susy Cricchi (Borgovelino, Rieti, Italy) courtesy of a helper from junior setter Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy).
An early 8-3 run by the Pioneers gave them a lead in the fourth set, until Molloy put together six straight points, taking a 12-10 lead. The green and gold answered back with a 5-1 run of their own to regain the lead, but the Lions would not go down without a fight, as the two squads battled back-and-forth until LIU Post strung together a 6-2 run to close out the set and the match. Cricchi and Centro teamed up for the decisive point once again.
Namahoe's double-double of 17 kills and 11 digs led the Pioneers, while Cricchi chipped in 12 kills of her own. Ringor was the digs leader with 19, and Centro tossed up a match-high 45 assists.
For the Lions, Katie Gallagher and Sam Berna notched 12 kills apiece.
The Pioneers are back in action Friday (Oct. 11), as they play host to Franklin Pierce with play slated to start at 7 p.m. at the Pratt Recreation Center.