Box Score
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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - LaKell Havens (St. George, Utah) slammed 16 kills and hit .483 to lead the Manhattan College volleyball team (6-5) to a 25-18, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19 victory over Providence (5-11) at Draddy Gymnasium on Wednesday night. She added four service aces and three blocks in the win, which was the Jaspers' third straight.
"Tonight was definitely a good night," Havens said. "I had a great connection with my setter. We were trying to move the ball around, make sure we confused the other side as much as we could, and just put the ball down."
"LaKell played great," Head Coach Mark Jones said. "She hit over .400 for us and had 16 kills. I think that's what's so great about this team. Everybody can pick it up when we need it the most."
Manhattan took control of the first set early on, using a three-point run to turn a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 advantage. After a Havens kill extended the Jaspers' lead to 15-9, Providence responded with a 7-4 spurt to get back within three, 19-16. However, Manhattan finished the set by taking five of the final seven points, and Havens' sixth kill of the frame capped the 25-18 win.
The Friars opened up an early 3-1 lead in the second set before a 4-0 Manhattan run put the Jaspers in front 5-3. Manhattan extended its advantage to 17-11, but Providence scored the next three points to cut it deficit to 17-14. However, a Havens kill ignited a 7-1 Manhattan rally, and she served an ace on set point to give the Jaspers a 25-15 set win that put them ahead 2-0 in the match.
The Jaspers scored six of the first eight points in the third set, then extended their advantage to 14-6 on a Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.) ace. After Providence pulled within three at 17-14, Manhattan responded by taking three of the next four points to once again take a five-point lead, 20-15. The Friars rallied back to tie the score at 22-22 before Mariana Furquim (Curitiba, Brazil) pounded a kill to move Manhattan two points from victory. However, Providence won the next two points to earn a set point of its own at 24-23. The Friars then got a kill from Lauren Fletcher to take the set by a 25-23 count.
After the sides traded the first eight points of the fourth set, a Havens kill sparked a 3-0 Manhattan run that turned a 4-4 deadlock into a 7-4 Jaspers lead. With Manhattan leading 11-9, Havens slammed another kill to ignite a 5-1 rally that she capped with an ace, making the score 16-10 in favor of the Jaspers. Manhattan extended its cushion to 20-13 before Providence battled back within four at 23-19. However, Hollegn Henderson (Long Beach, Calif.) notched a kill to bring Manhattan to match point, and Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) capped the 3-1 victory with her 12th kill of the match. Manhattan took the fourth set 25-19.
Alexa Lampasona (Remsenburg, N.Y.) notched 12 kills on .321 hitting, while McGuinness recorded seven digs to go along with her 12 kills. Henderson had her second career double-double with 40 assists and 10 digs. Huntoon contributed a team-high 12 digs and a pair of aces, and Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Sarah Haselhorst (Naperville, Ill.) each tallied 11 digs. Manhattan held an 8-2 advantage in aces and hit .264 (56 kills, 17 errors, 148 attempts) as a team.
Providence was led by Fletcher's 19 kills. Carly Morrison posted a double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs, and Cassie Muzzonigro tallied a match-high 17 digs. As a team, Providence hit .151 (43-22-139) in the match. The Friars outdug the Jaspers 64-61.
Manhattan continues its five-match homestand with a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tilts over the weekend. Loyola (4-10, 1-1 MAAC) visits Draddy Gymnasium at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while the Jaspers (1-0 MAAC) host Rider (3-11, 1-2 MAAC) at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
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