NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Sept. 25, 2016) - The LIU Post volleyball team claimed a hard-fought 3-2 win (25-13, 24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 15-11) over Southern Connecticut State University in non-conference action Sunday at Pelz Gymnasium.
The Pioneers (3-7) dominated the Owls (7-7) in the first set, winning by a 25-13 count. The green and gold hit at a .276 clip in the game and committed only three errors, while serving three aces.
Down 9-8 in the set, LIU Post rattled off an 8-0 run to grab a seven-point (16-9) lead. Sophomore outside hitter
Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) put down a pair of kills in the burst. The Pioneers eventually built as much as a 10-point cushion (21-11) to breeze to the victory.
The visitors then dropped the next two sets and were put on the brink, until a strong fourth game by LIU Post evened the match at 2-all.
The Pioneers jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage in the set. Senior middle hitter
Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) and freshman middle/right-side hitter
Lea Brady (Woodbridge, Va.) each collected a pair of kills in the streak to pace the LIU Post offense.
Though the Owls later managed to close the gap to 23-20, the Pioneers responded with back-to-back points to take the set, 25-20. Sophomore middle/right-side
Elise Strange (Chesapeake, Va.) had the game-clinching kill, off a pass from sophomore setter
Giulia Genna (Rome, Italy).
In the final set, the two squads were tied at 9-9, until a 5-0 spurt by the visitors put LIU Post in front, 14-9. Strange supplied back-to-back kills in the effort, and added the winning kill in an eventual 15-11 triumph.
Junior outside/middle/right-side hitter
Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) finished with a team-high 15 kills for the Pioneers. McCullouch tallied 13 kills on a .296 attack percentage. Londot, who amassed 27 digs, and Strange both amassed eight kills. Genna posted a double-double with 33 assists and 15 digs.
Head Coach
Amanda Ostapow and her LIU Post squad return to the court Saturday (Oct. 1) in Rochester, N.Y. at East Coast Conference opponent Roberts Wesleyan College. First serve is set for noon.