BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Oct. 6, 2016) - Junior outside/middle/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) had a team-high 12 kills Thursday to send the LIU Post volleyball team to a 3-0 win (25-18, 25-18, 25-18) against East Coast Conference nemesis Mercy College in its 2016 home opener at the Pratt Recreation Center.

Valenza also hit at a .375 clip and served six aces in the effort. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) totaled eight kills and 12 digs. Senior middle hitter Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) put down seven kills and rejected three blocks.

Trailing 5-3 early in the first set, the Pioneers (4-10, 1-4 ECC) used a 13-4 run to grab a 16-9 lead. Valenza provided a pair of kills in the burst. Freshman setter Kassie Akouri-Tejedor (North Miami Beach, Fla.) contributed two service aces.

LIU Post, which recorded a .250 attack percentage in the opening game, pulled away from there, and won the set 25-18, on a block by Valenza and McCullouch.

In the second set, the two teams were tied at 7-all, until an 8-1 run by the Pioneers put the hosts in front 15-8. Valenza and Londot registered two kills apiece in the spurt for the green and gold.

LIU Post eventually led by as much as a nine-point margin (23-14) in the game, and cruised to a 25-18 victory.

The Pioneers opened the third set on a 14-5 run and never looked back. Valenza served five consecutive aces in the streak, forcing a Mercy (1-9, 1-4 ECC) timeout.

The Mavericks managed to close the gap to 23-17, but a pair of Valenza kills after a Pioneer timeout sealed the sweep for the hosts.

Head Coach Amanda Ostapow and her LIU Post squad return to action Friday (Oct. 7), when they face Queens College and Stonehill College in a tri-match at Fitzgerald Gymnasium in Flushing. The matches are slated to start at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively.