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BALTIMORE - On Wednesday night, the Manhattan College volleyball team did something it hadn't done against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Loyola since Sept. 16, 2006: win in fewer than five sets. This time, the Jaspers (13-9, 6-4 MAAC) needed only four sets to top the Greyhounds (6-17, 3-7 MAAC), posting a 25-19, 25-18, 18-25, 25-14 victory at Reitz Arena. It was Manhattan's fourth straight win in the series.
The Jaspers quickly took control of the first set. After Loyola built a 5-3 lead, Manhattan scored six of the next seven points to go in front 9-6. Loyola trimmed its deficit to one at 17-16, but the Jaspers responded with a 7-1 run to reach set point. Manhattan took advantage of Loyola's -.091 hitting (eight kills, 11 errors, 33 attempts) to take the opening set by a 25-19 count.
Loyola scored the first point of the second set, but a kill by Mariana Furquim (Curitiba, Brazil) started a 7-0 rally that helped the Jaspers establish a 7-1 advantage. After the Greyhounds pulled back within three at 8-5, LaKell Havens (St. George, Utah) slammed a kill to spark a 4-1 Manhattan spurt that brought the Jaspers' lead back to six points, 12-6. Loyola cut its deficit to two at 15-13 before Manhattan ended the set by claiming 10 of the last 15 points. Alexa Lampasona (Remsenburg, N.Y.) pounded a kill to finish off the set, 25-18, and give Manhattan a 2-0 lead in the match. The Jaspers committed just one attack error in the second set, hitting a solid .359 (15 kills, 39 attempts) as a team.
The third set featured seven ties and four lead changes early on. Loyola broke an 8-8 deadlock on a Tina Catanach service ace that started a 9-1 run, giving the Greyhounds a 17-9 advantage. After a Havens kill and a block by Havens and Furquim, Loyola scored the next five points to extend its lead to 22-11. Manhattan responded by taking seven of the next nine points before a kill by Jac Bullock gave the set to Loyola, 25-18. The Greyhounds hit an impressive .324 (14-3-34) in the third set.
Determined not to go the distance against the Greyhounds for the sixth consecutive time, Manhattan opened the fourth set on fire, quickly opening up a 7-2 lead. The Jaspers controlled the set from there, as Loyola never pulled closer than four points the rest of the way. Leading 18-12, Manhattan used a 6-1 run to reach match point, and the Jaspers clinched a 3-1 victory with a 25-14 fourth-set win. Manhattan's offense continued its solid production in the fourth set, as the Jaspers hit .367 (13-2-30) in the frame.
Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) recorded her third consecutive double-double with 15 kills and 15 digs. She also hit .382 in the match. Furquim tallied 12 kills and 12 digs to go along with five blocks, while Havens had seven kills and five blocks. Brittany DeGagne (Penticton, B.C.) contributed five kills on 11 errorless swings, hitting .455 while also notching four blocks. Hollegn Henderson (Long Beach, Calif.) distributed 43 assists and Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.), making her first career start at libero, registered a match-high 19 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Greyhounds 69-63. Manhattan hit .234 (48-15-141) as a team.
Faye Lukas paced the Loyola offense with 15 kills. Bullock tallied 14 kills, while Lauren Andersen had a double-double for the Greyhounds. She posted 35 assists and 11 digs. Catanach just missed a double-double with nine kills and 14 digs, and Katie Dircks also notched 14 digs. As a team, the Greyhounds hit .137 (48-27-153) in the match.
The Jaspers, who are currently in a three-way tie for third place in the MAAC, hit the road again on Saturday, when they visit Saint Peter's (0-22, 0-10 MAAC) at 2 p.m. Manhattan began MAAC play with a 3-0 win over the Peahens at Draddy Gymnasium on Sept. 17.
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