BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 19, 2015) - The LIU Post volleyball team opened the home portion of its 2015 schedule Saturday with a pair of wins versus Franklin Pierce University and Holy Family University at the Pratt Recreation Center.

Match #1: LIU Post 3, Franklin Pierce 1 (28-26, 25-20, 23-25, 25-22)
Trailing 8-2 in the first set, the Pioneers went on a 7-1 run to even the score at 9-up. Freshman outside hitter Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) served five straight points in the rally. Senior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) added a pair of kills in the effort. Hansen finished the contest with a match-high 13 kills on a .343 hitting percentage.

From there, the two teams traded points in a game that featured 13 tied scores. As the set eventually extended past the 25-point mark, Londot and sophomore outside/middle/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) slammed down back-to-back kills to secure a 28-26 opening-set victory.

The second set, much like the first, featured more back-and-forth (11 tied scores, six lead changes) action between the two squads. Late in the game, a 7-0 spurt by LIU Post gave the Pioneers the lead for good at 22-17. Valenza provided the final two kills of the burst. Londot and junior middle hitter Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) chipped in a kill apiece.

Despite nearly battling back from an eight-point deficit in the third game, the Pioneers earned the victory in four sets.

Tied at 15-all in the fourth game, the green and gold rolled off an 8-3 run, led by two more kills from Hansen, to propel themselves to a 23-18 advantage. That turned out to be all LIU Post needed, as Valenza's solo block of Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) won it for the hosts.

In addition to Hansen, three other Pioneers tallied double-digit kills. McCullouch amassed 12 kills. Londot and Valenza each had a double-double with 11 kills and 17 digs. Freshman setter Giulia Genna (Civitella San Paolo, Italy) allocated 52 assists and collected 14 digs.

Match #2: LIU Post 3, Holy Family 0 (25-20, 25-9, 25-13)
Following a nailbiting 25-20 first-set triumph, LIU Post (7-3) breezed to victories in the next two games to secure a sweep of Holy Family (1-11).

In the second set, the Pioneers committed zero attacking errors and posted a stellar .667 hitting percentage, en route to a 25-9 win. LIU Post jumped out to a commanding 17-4 lead and never looked back. Valenza paced the green and gold with five kills during that stretch.

Finally, in the third set, the green and gold again got out to a quick start. This time, a 12-3 run to open the game gave the Pioneers a cushion they would never relinquish. Londot served three aces in the streak. Freshman middle/right-side hitter Elise Strange (Chesapeake, Va.) started the set with back-to-back kills.

McCullouch slammed down nine kills in the contest to lead all players. Valenza registered eight kills and seven digs. Genna and senior setter/right-side hitter Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) both notched four kills. Genna dished out 24 assists, as well. Londot had a match-high 12 digs and six aces.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and her LIU Post team return to the court Tuesday (Sept. 22), when they host Dowling College in their 2015 East Coast Conference opener at the Pratt Recreation Center. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.