WALTHAM, Mass. (Sept. 4, 2015) - The LIU Post volleyball team served up a pair of victories to start the 2015 season Friday, knocking off University of New Haven and Bentley University by respective scores of 3-1 and 3-0, at the Bentley Invitational at the Dana Center.

Match #1: LIU Post 3, New Haven 1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19)
Tied at 1-set apiece, the Pioneers trailed 20-13 late in the third. The green and gold then reeled off an 8-1 run to even the score at 21-all. Sophomore outside/middle/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) had two kills in the spurt. Junior middle hitter Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) and freshman setter Giulia Genna (Civitella San Paolo, Italy) each provided a kill and a block. McCullouch racked up eight kills and three blocks in her first match in a green and gold uniform.

Shortly thereafter, the score remained tied (23-23), until back-to-back kills by Valenza and Genna sealed the come-from-behind 25-23 victory.

In the fourth set, LIU Post jumped out to a commanding 12-5 lead, before New Haven (0-1) rallied to tie things up at 14-14. The Pioneers finished strong though, tallying eight of the final nine points to close out the Chargers. Valenza contributed two kills in the run. A block by Genna and freshman middle/right-side hitter Elise Strange (Chesapeake, Va.) wrapped up the four-set win for the green and gold.

Three different players posted double-doubles for the Pioneers. In her collegiate debut, freshman outside hitter Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) amassed 18 digs and 12 kills. Valenza registered a match-high 18 kills, to go along with 10 digs. Genna dished out 40 assists and earned 10 digs. Strange, who also had five blocks, notched five kills. Senior setter/right-side hitter Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) totaled 11 digs, five kills and two blocks. Senior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished with 27 digs.

Match #2: LIU Post 3, Bentley 0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-19)
In the nightcap against Bentley (0-2), Valenza again led the way, recording a double-double (13 kills, 16 digs). As a team, LIU Post (2-0) attacked at a .314 clip in the contest, including an impressive .531 hitting percentage in the third set.

The Pioneers jumped out to a fast start in the first set, holding a 13-7 lead on the heels of two Ringor aces and a pair of Amador kills. Bentley eventually battled back to even the set at 18-18, but a pair of unforced errors by the Falcons helped the green and gold to a 25-23 opening-game triumph.

In the second set, LIU Post clawed its way out of a 10-point hole to earn another two-point win. Trailing 14-4, the Pioneers went on a 14-4 run of its own to make it an 18-18 game. Valenza and senior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put down three kills apiece to spearhead the effort. 

Bentley later managed to re-gain the lead (23-20), forcing an LIU Post timeout. Out of the break, McCullouch tallied three unanswered kills to put the Pioneers back in front (24-23), and a subsequent Londot kill gave the visitors a two-set advantage.

Tied 9-9 in the third set, LIU Post reeled off a 7-2 burst to grab a 16-11 edge. Londot and McCullouch sandwiched the run with kills, off feeds from Genna. The Pioneers managed to maintain that lead for the remainder of the game, as another McCullouch kill secured the 25-19 win and a sweep for the green and gold.

Londot contributed 10 kills and 11 digs in the match. Genna allocated 40 assists. Amador added nine digs, five kills and two blocks. Hansen pitched in eight kills and two blocks.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and the Pioneers wrap up play at the Bentley Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 5), when they square off with Chestnut Hill College and Florida Southern College. The matches are individually scheduled to start at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m.