CHEYNEY, Pa. (Sept. 3, 2016) - On Saturday, the LIU Post volleyball team cruised to 3-0 wins against Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Nyack College in a season-opening tri-match at Cope Hall.

LIU Post 3, Cheyney 0 (25-6, 25-12, 25-17)
The Pioneers dominated the Wolves (0-1) in the first set, winning by a 25-6 final. Freshman setter Kassie Akouri-Tejedor (North Miami Beach, Fla.) served an ace in the game. Freshman middle/right-side hitter Lea Brady (Woodbridge, Va.) slammed down three kills. Senior outside/right-side/middle hitter Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) added two kills and two aces.

In the second set, LIU Post hit at a .303 clip, en route to a 25-12 victory. Brady continued her strong performance, registering two kills. Akouri-Tejedor chipped in three assists and an ace.

The Pioneers and Wolves were tied 3-3 in the third game, until the visitors went on a six-point run to grab a 9-3 lead. Senior middle hitter Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.) tallied a kill and an ace in the spurt. The green and gold eventually widened the gap to as large as 23-13, on a solo block by sophomore middle/right-side hitter Elise Strange (Chesapeake, Va.).

McCullouch had nine kills, three digs and two aces in the match. Brady chipped in five kills on a .364 hitting clip. Sophomore setter Giulia Genna (Rome, Italy) allocated 18 assists and served three aces.

LIU Post 3, Nyack 0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-14)
In the nightcap, the Pioneers (2-0) got a balanced offensive attack in a sweep of the Warriors (0-1). Seven different players recorded kills for the green and gold, including a match-high eight kills by junior outside/middle/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.).

Leading 17-16 in a tightly-contested first set, LIU Post closed out the game on a 8-1 run to secure a 25-17 victory. The Pioneers took advantage of four Nyack errors in the streak, while Genna bookended the run with kills.

In the second game, the Pioneers used a 9-1 burst at the midway point to jump out to a 20-10 advantage. Valenza notched two kills and assisted on two blocks in that stretch. That proved to be all the green and gold needed, as an Indira Rojas (Coamo, Puerto Rico) ace capped off a 25-12 win.

Up 10-7 in the third set, LIU Post reeled off a 9-2 run to pull away from Nyack and complete the three-game sweep. Brady and Strange each provided a kill in the burst. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) contributed an ace.

In addition to Valenza's eight-kill performance, Brady amassed seven kills, two digs and two blocks. Genna, Londot and McCullouch put down four kills apiece. Genna also dished out 17 assists and earned five digs.

Head Coach Amanda Ostapow and the Pioneers return to action Friday (Sept. 9), when they travel to Lakeland, Fla. for the two-day Florida Southern College/Terrace Hotel Classic. They will face University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Texas Woman's University at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively.