Volleyball Suffers Hard-Fought 3-2 Loss to NYIT in NCAA East Quarters
Box Score GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Dec. 3, 2015) - Sophomore outside/middle/right-side hitter
Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) registered a match-high 19 kills Thursday, but the fifth-seeded LIU Post volleyball team dropped a 3-2 nailbiter (25-16, 18-25, 15-25, 25-17, 13-15) to fourth-seeded New York Institute of Technology in an NCAA Division II Championship East Region quarterfinal at Adelphi University's Center for Recreation and Sport.
In addition to her 19 kills, Valenza earned nine digs, four blocks and two aces. Freshman outside hitter
Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) tallied a double-double (14 kills, 11 digs). Junior outside/right-side/middle hitter
Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) racked up six kills and seven digs off the bench. Junior middle hitter
Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) chipped in five kills and seven blocks.
Freshman setter
Giulia Genna (Civitella San Paolo, Italy) dished out 38 assists and collected eight digs. Senior libero
Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii) accumulated 20 digs and served four aces.
Trailing 14-13 in the first set, the Pioneers (23-11) rallied with a 12-2 run to secure a come-from-behind 25-16 victory. Valenza notched four kills in the effort. Ringor served up three aces. McCullouch rejected four blocks and added a kill.
LIU Post then lost the next two games, before forcing a fifth set, on the heels of a 25-17 win in the fourth. Holding a slight 17-16 edge, the Pioneers used an 8-1 burst to even the match at 2-2.
Valenza again was the key catalyst, slamming down two kills and contributing a block. Austin and Londot each pitched in a kill, as well.
In the deciding set, the green and gold got another strong showing from Valenza, who amassed four kills, one block and an ace. However, LIU Post was edged 15-13, wrapping up the 2015 campaign.
Down 14-11 and on the brink of elimination, Valenza recorded back-to-back kills to close the gap to one point, forcing an NYIT (26-7) timeout. The Bears came away with the victory though on a subsequent Karolina Moderova (Zalesie, Slovakia) kill.
For more information on the Pioneers' volleyball program, please continue to visit
LIUPostPioneers.com.