Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - After starting the season with 10 straight matches away from home, the Manhattan College volleyball team finally got the chance to take the floor at Draddy Gymnasium on Sunday. And the Lady Jaspers relished being home. Manhattan (6-5, 2-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) dropped the first set before dominating the second and mounting comebacks to win the third and fourth in a 25-27, 25-16, 26-24, 26-24 victory over Saint Peter's (4-9, 0-2 MAAC). The Lady Jaspers have now won five straight, their longest winning streak since they also won five in a row from Nov. 1-15, 2008.
Manhattan opened up an early 5-2 lead in the first set before Saint Peter's rallied back to make it 6-6. The Lady Jaspers scored four straight points to turn an 8-8 tie into a 12-8 advantage, and they extended their lead to 18-13 on a Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.) service ace. Saint Peter's called timeout after Huntoon's ace, and the Peahens scored nine of the next 12 points following the timeout to go in front, 22-21. However, Manhattan responded with a 3-0 rally, reaching set point on an ace by Jamie Collareta (Islip Terrace, N.Y.). The Peahens fought off a pair of set points, then had one of their own at 25-24 before the Lady Jaspers forced the 10th tie of the set. Saint Peter's won the next point to reach set point again, and a block by Kassi Wirth and Corey Haynes gave the Peahens the set, 27-25.
In the second set, Saint Peter's led 8-4 before Nikki Chamberlin (San Diego, Calif.) started serving. The Lady Jaspers scored 10 straight points on Chamberlin's serve, including five kills by Diane Strutner (San Jose, Calif.) and a pair of aces, to pull ahead 15-8. Manhattan wasn't challenged the rest of the set and another Strutner kill (her eighth of the set) wrapped up a 25-16 win that sent the teams into the locker room tied at 1-1. Manhattan hit a solid .364 (16 kills, four errors, 33 attempts) in the second set.
The third set was as tight as the first, featuring 11 ties and seven lead changes. Saint Peter's took an early 5-3 lead, but the Lady Jaspers responded with a 6-1 run to take a 9-6 advantage. Manhattan extended its lead to 12-8 on another Chamberlin ace before the Peahens scored the next three to get back within one, 12-11. The Lady Jaspers pushed their advantage back to four points at 16-12, but Saint Peter's rallied for seven of the next nine points to regain the lead, 19-18. After Manhattan went back in front 21-20, Saint Peter's scored the next three points to go ahead 23-21. Manhattan rallied for the next two points to tie it at 23-23 before Saint Peter's got to set point on a kill by Chloe Rost. Strutner pounded a kill to knot the score at 24-24, then a pair of Collareta aces gave Manhattan the set, 26-24, and a 2-1 lead in the match.
It looked like the match would go the distance when Saint Peter's jumped out to a 15-8 edge in the fourth set, but the Lady Jaspers responded with a 12-3 run to take a 20-18 lead. The Peahens notched the next three points, including a pair of aces from Stephanie Phillips, to go back in front, 21-20. Manhattan scored the next point to knot it at 21-21, and the score would be tied again at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24. The Lady Jaspers reached match point on Strutner's 25th kill of the match, then closed out the set, 26-24, and the 3-1 match victory on a kill by Huntoon.
"Overall, as a team, we stayed together and worked hard for every point," Head Coach Mark Jones said. "It's a great win for us, and a testament to how hard we've been working all season."
Strutner notched her fourth straight double-double with 25 kills and 13 digs. LaKell Havens (St. George, Utah) added 10 kills and four blocks, while Alexa Lampasona (Remensburg, N.Y.) had 10 kills and six digs. Collareta recorded a double-double with 48 assists and 10 digs. She also registered a career-high four service aces. Five different Lady Jaspers posted double-digit digs, as Manhattan outdug Saint Peter's 94-81. The day after returning 30 digs in a five-set win over Rider, Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) had a career-high 34 digs on Sunday. Aurore Kullak (Beloeil, Belgium) added 13 digs, and Chamberlin tallied career-highs with 10 digs and three aces. As a team, the Lady Jaspers hit .180 (59-26-183) in the match.
Phillips led the Peahens with 14 kills. She also had four aces. Kim Mendoza, Anna Molokotina and Haynes all had double-doubles for Saint Peter's. Mendoza tallied 10 kills and 19 digs, while Molokotina posted 26 assists and 11 digs to go along with three aces and four blocks, and Haynes notched 18 assists and 10 digs. Wirth added six blocks, as the Peahens outblocked the Lady Jaspers 9-6. Katie McFadden registered a team-high 21 digs. Saint Peter's hit .148 (49-23-176) as a team.
Manhattan puts its winning streak on the line on Wednesday, when Lafayette (4-8) visits Draddy Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The contest, the Lady Jaspers' only home non-conference match of the season, will be webcast live on JasperVision at www.gojaspers.com.
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