Box Score
Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – After dropping a five-set heartbreaker to first-place Rider on Saturday, the Manhattan College volleyball team was back on the court on Sunday for a matchup with Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Saint Peter's. And the Jaspers (11-9, 5-2 MAAC) rebounded just fine, snapping their two-match losing streak with a dominant 25-8, 25-15, 25-22 victory over the Peacocks (3-13, 1-6 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium.
Manhattan hit .227 (44 kills, 15 errors, 128 attempts) in the match, including .300 or better in each of the first two sets, and added 12 service aces to its national-leading total. The Jaspers had seven aces in the third set alone.
Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) notched her second double-double of the weekend with 11 kills and 18 digs, while Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) also had a double-double with 34 assists and 11 digs. Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) added six kills on .357 hitting, and Olyvia Chaltas (Temecula, Calif.) hit .417 with a career-best six kills. Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, Va.) tallied three aces and 15 digs. Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii), meanwhile, served five consecutive aces in the third set and finished with six to go along with 10 digs.
“I definitely think we're hitting our stride right now,” Van Dyk said. “I think that's important. You don't want to hit your stride too early. I think this is the right time going into the middle of conference play, and then we'll hit our peak at the end.”
It was all Manhattan in the first set. The Jaspers led 7-3 when a Gray kill sparked a 10-0 rally that made it 17-3. Saint Peter's didn't win consecutive points at any time in the frame, and Manhattan finished off a 25-8 win with a kill by Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia).
In the second set, Saint Peter's grabbed an early 3-1 lead before Manhattan went on a 9-2 run to go up 10-5. After a Van Dyk kill increased the Jaspers' advantage to 14-8, the Peacocks rattled off seven of the next 11 points to pull within three, 18-15. However, a Kostic kill on the next point started a set-ending 7-0 rally. Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) wrapped up the 25-15 victory with an ace. Manhattan smashed 22 kills and hit .314 (six errors, 51 attempts) in the second set.
Saint Peter's scored the first three points of the third set and led 11-7 after back-to-back blocks. However, with the Peacocks up 12-8, Chaltas slammed a kill to start an 8-0 Manhattan run that included the five Yamashiro aces in a row. Rehrer added an ace of her own to make it 18-13, but Saint Peter's responded with four straight points to get back within one, 18-17. Leading 21-20, the Jaspers went on a 3-0 rally to reach match point, which Marissa Behrens put away on Manhattan's third opportunity. The Jaspers took the third set by a 25-22 count to wrap up their 11th consecutive victory over the Peacocks.
“Our serving was good throughout the entire match,” Head Coach Mark Jones said. “That's something we've been doing all year. It's not easy to play back-to-back, and I'm really proud of our team's effort.”
Lauren Behrens led the Peacocks with four kills and 17 digs. Kaitlyn Sitton recorded a double-double with 13 assists and 12 digs, while Amanda Colombo contributed four kills and 10 digs. Marlena Budna was a part of all five Saint Peter's blocks. The Peacocks hit .078 (19-11-103) as a team.
The Jaspers continue their four-match homestand with a pair of contests next weekend. On Saturday, Manhattan takes on Fairfield (8-8, 4-3 MAAC) for the first time this season. The Jaspers swept the regular season series with the Stags for the first time ever in 2014, winning both matches in five sets, but it was Fairfield that posted a five-set triumph when the sides met in the third-place match of the MAAC Tournament.
