Jaspers Fall Twice at Big Green Invitational

HANOVER, N.H. – On Saturday afternoon, the Manhattan College volleyball team concluded play at the Big Green Invitational with a pair of matches.  After dropping a 25-21, 25-18, 25-19 decision against Grand Canyon (3-5), the Jaspers (5-6) were defeated 25-20, 27-29, 25-20, 25-15 by Central Connecticut State (5-5) at Leede Arena.

Manhattan's matchup with Grand Canyon was its first-ever meeting against the Division I newcomer, which went 24-6 in Division II last season.

The Jaspers scored the first three points of the match and led 12-9 before the Antelopes went on a 10-2 run to open up a 19-14 advantage.  Manhattan got back within three at 21-18, but Grand Canyon rallied for three of the next four points to reach set point, and the Antelopes captured the set by a 25-21 margin.

In the second set, Grand Canyon jumped out to a 7-2 advantage and never looked back.  The Antelopes eventually extended their lead to 19-5 before the Jaspers went on a 6-1 run to trim its deficit to nine points, 20-11.  After Grand Canyon reached set point at 24-14, Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) slammed a kill to spark a 4-0 Manhattan rally.  However, a Lanie Muys kill on the next point wrapped up the set for the Antelopes, 25-18.

The Antelopes used another early run in the third set, scoring six straight points to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 9-3 lead.  Manhattan rallied back, though, knotting the score at 13-13 on a block by McGuinness and Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany).  Grand Canyon captured the next two points to regain the lead, but the Jaspers again battled back to tie it at 15-15.  However, the Antelopes countered with an 8-2 spurt to open up a 23-17 advantage, and Grand Canyon took the set 25-19 to seal the match.

McGuinness and Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) smashed 12 kills apiece to lead the Jaspers.  McGuinness added 10 digs to complete a double-double.  Tedora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) distributed 28 assists, while Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) finished with 24 digs, as Manhattan outdug Grand Canyon 63-62.  As a team, the Jaspers hit .078 (35 kills, 25 errors, 128 attempts) in the match.

For the Antelopes, Shannon Dugan led the way with 12 kills.  Muys contributed eight kills and seven blocks, while Jessica Posse and Bree Davis each dished out 17 assists.  Mackenzie Phelps paced Grand Canyon with 15 digs, and Megan Davis tallied 14 digs.  The Antelopes hit .138 (39-21-130) as a team.

Against Central Connecticut State, the Jaspers took early leads of 6-3 and 15-8, but the Blue Devils came storming back each time.  Central Connecticut State eventually tied the score at 19-19 before Manhattan scored the next point to go back in front, 20-19.  The Blue Devils continued their run, though, claiming the final six points of the first set to register a 25-20 victory.

After Manhattan scored the first three points of the second set, Central Connecticut State rallied to force a 5-5 deadlock.  With the score knotted at 11-11, Wiekamp pounded a kill to spark a 7-3 run that put the Jaspers back in front, 18-14.  The Blue Devils once again tied it at 19-19 before Manhattan captured the next three points to once again take the lead, 22-19.  Central Connecticut State refused to yield, however, evening the score one more time at 23-23.  The Jaspers won the next point to reach set point, but the Blue Devils fought off four different set point opportunities.  A kill by Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) brought Manhattan to set point for a fifth time at 28-27, and Sarah Haselhorst (Naperville, Ill.) followed with a service ace to wrap up the set, 29-27.

There were eight ties and four lead changes in the third set.  Central Connecticut State jumped out to a 6-2 advantage, but Manhattan countered with a 12-4 run to take a 14-10 advantage of its own.  After the Blue Devils rallied to even things at 15-15, a 4-1 Manhattan rally put the Jaspers in front 19-16.  However, Central Connecticut State closed the set by capturing nine of the final 10 points.  The Blue Devils took a 2-1 lead in the match with their 25-20 set win.

The fourth set started out tight before the Blue Devils went on a 4-1 run to turn a 3-3 deadlock into a 7-4 cushion.  Manhattan pulled within one at 10-9, but Central Connecticut State countered by taking 11 of the next 15 points to increase its lead to 21-13.  After a kill by Kitlar trimmed the Jaspers' deficit to seven, 21-14, Central Connecticut State ended the match by winning four of the last five points, taking the set by a 25-15 count.  The Blue Devils hit a solid .467 (16-2-30) in the set, which sealed a 3-1 match victory.

McGuinness paced the Jaspers with 12 kills and 24 digs, while Wiekamp also had a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs.  Kitlar added 11 kills to go along with five blocks.  Peric handed out 35 assists, and Yamashiro tallied 14 digs.  Manhattan hit .129 (46-27-147) as a team and outdug Central Connecticut State 73-67.

Heather Trueman notched a double-double for the Blue Devils, posting 14 kills and 16 digs.  Makenna Lombardi just missed a triple-double, recording 43 assists, 14 digs and eight kills on .444 hitting.  Cassidy Stankowski added 13 kills and 11 digs, while Amalia Ali registered 13 digs and Brittany Schumacher had 10 digs.  As a team, Central Connecticut State hit .236 (59-21-161) in the match.