Volleyball Drops Four-Set Decision at Bridgeport
Box Score BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Oct. 27, 2015) - Sophomore outside/middle/right-side hitter
Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) slammed down 13 kills Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough for the LIU Post volleyball team in a 3-1 loss (19-25, 16-25, 25-21, 23-25) to University of Bridgeport in an East Coast Conference tilt at Hubbell Gymnasium.
After dropping the first two sets of the contest, the Pioneers (18-8, 6-5 ECC) rallied back in the third to take a game off the Purple Knights (17-8, 10-1 ECC).
LIU Post capitalized on six offensive miscues by Bridgeport to build an early 10-2 cushion. Later in the set, the Pioneers still led by an eight-point margin (15-7), until a quick 6-3 spurt by the visitors extended the green and gold's lead to 21-10.
LIU Post again made the most of its opportunities on Bridgeport mistakes, as the Purple Knights committed four unforced errors in that stretch. A kill by freshman outside hitter
Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) would soon secure a 25-21 victory for the Pioneers in the set.
In the fourth set, the green and gold jumped out to a 4-1 edge, behind a kill and block from freshman middle/right-side hitter
Elise Strange (Chesapeake, Va.) and a
Giulia Genna (Civitella San Paolo, Italy) service ace. Strange finished with five block assists in the losing effort, while Genna and junior middle hitter
Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) each rejected four blocks.
However, UB fought back to tie the game at 4-all and eventually held a 17-11 lead, on the heels of a Sarah Rosa (Itajuba, Brazil) and Jade Zhao (Huhhot, China) block.
Yet, LIU Post chipped away at the deficit and managed to get as close as 24-23, forcing a Bridgeport timeout. The Purple Knights put the match away on the next point though, as Rosa tallied one of her 11 kills on the evening to close it out.
Head Coach
Shellane Ogoshi and the Pioneers return to action Saturday (Nov. 7), when they venture to Western New York for a noon matinee at ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester.