AMHERST, N.Y. (Nov. 8, 2015) - On Sunday, the LIU Post volleyball team won a tightly-contested 3-2 decision (20-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 16-14) against East Coast Conference foe Daemen College at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Sophomore outside/middle/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) notched a season- and career-best 24 kills. She also collected 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Senior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) tallied 12 kills. Freshman outside hitter Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) provided 11 kills, in addition to 20 digs. Junior middle hitter Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) contributed nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, alongside five blocks.

After losing the first set, the Pioneers (20-8, 8-6 ECC) jumped out to a commanding 10-1 lead in the second. Hansen registered two kills and two block assists in the run. Valenza pitched in three kills.

The Wildcats (12-15, 7-7 ECC) eventually clawed back and cut the deficit to 23-22, but a Londot kill and a Daemen attack error gave the Pioneers a three-point victory to even the match at 1-1.

LIU Post found itself trailing by a set again in the fourth. Tied at 12-all, an 8-2 spurt by the green and gold put the visitors ahead 20-14, forcing a Wildcats' timeout. The run was bookended by kills from Hansen and freshman setter Giulia Genna (Civitella San Paolo, Italy). McCullouch added back-to-back kills in the effort.

However, Daemen later rallied to knot the set at 23-23, via an Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y.) kill. Despite the comeback, LIU Post captured a 25-23 win, on a kill from Valenza, to force a fifth and deciding game.

The two teams traded points for much of the fifth set, until a 5-1 spurt gave the Pioneers a 14-11 cushion. Yet, the Wildcats scored three unanswered points after a timeout to send the match into extras.

From there, a Drzymala ball-handling error, coupled with a Valenza and McCullouch block, sealed a 16-14 victory for LIU Post and improved the visitors to 2-1 on their current road trip.

Genna dished out 58 assists and collected 10 digs in the contest. Her 58 helpers were a match- and season-high. Senior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii) led all players with 28 digs.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and the Pioneers round out their four-match road swing Tuesday (Nov. 10) in Old Westbury at ECC rival New York Institute of Technology. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.