Box Score
Box Score
PEORIA, Ill. – On Saturday night, the Manhattan College volleyball team concluded action at the CEFCU Classic with a matchup against host Bradley at Renaissance Coliseum. The Jaspers (5-3) built a two-sets-to-one lead, but the Braves (5-1) rallied to post a 25-20, 26-28, 23-25, 25-15, 15-12 victory in a contest that was broadcast nationally on ESPN3.
The first set was tight early on before Bradley used a 12-2 rally to turn a 7-6 lead into a 19-8 advantage. Mary Donnelly (Temecula, Calif.) then slammed a kill to start a 7-1 Manhattan run that brought the Jaspers within five at 20-15. That's as close as Manhattan would get, however, as Bradley secured a 25-20 set win.
After Manhattan took a 3-1 lead in the second set, Bradley rallied for eight of the next 10 points to go up 9-5. The Jaspers stormed back, though, regaining the lead on a Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) kill that made it 12-11. Manhattan's advantage reached four points at 16-12 before the Braves went on a 9-5 run to pull in front, 23-21. Bradley had set point at 24-23, but Janjsuevic pounded a kill to force a 24-24 deadlock. Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) followed with a kill to give the Jaspers their first set point, and Manhattan would have set point again at 26-25 and 27-26. Finally, on Manhattan's third set point opportunity, Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, Va.) served an ace to cap a 28-26 win and even the match at one set apiece.
Bradley raced out to a 6-3 advantage in the third set, and the Braves led 9-6 before the Jaspers went on a 5-0 run to go up 11-9. After Bradley tied it at 14-14, a Janjusevic kill started a 4-0 Manhattan rally that gave the Jaspers an 18-14 advantage. The Braves responded, though, scoring the next five points to take a 19-18 edge. With the score knotted at 23-23 (the 11th tie of the frame), Janjusevic ripped a pair of kills to give Manhattan the set, 25-23, and a 2-1 lead in the match.
In the fourth set, Bradley built an early 9-2 cushion and never looked back. The Braves ran the margin to 10 points at 18-8 before Manhattan went on a five-point run to get within 18-13. Bradley immediately countered with a 6-1 run, though, and the Braves sent the match into a fifth set with a 25-15 win.
Neither side was able to gain an advantage of more than two points early in the fifth set. However, after Donnelly gave the Jaspers a 6-4 lead, the Braves went on a 7-0 run to go up 11-6. Manhattan got back within two when a kill by Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) made it 13-11 in favor of the Braves, but Bradley reached match point on a kill by Allison Turner before finishing things off with a Jamie Livaudis kill. With a 15-12 win in the decisive frame, the Braves handed the Jaspers their first five-set loss of the year.
Janjusevic hit .358 for the Jaspers, slamming a match-high 22 kills and committing only three errors in 53 attempts. She completed a double-double with 18 digs and also served three aces. Janjusevic was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 3.25 kills and 3.83 digs per set in Manhattan's three matches.
Donnelly, who had 10 career kills entering the match, just missed a double-double of her own with 15 kills and nine digs. Volovski, meanwhile, tallied 12 kills and four blocks. Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) finished with 42 assists and 16 digs, while Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) tallied 25 digs and nine assists. Rehrer added 10 digs for the Jaspers. As a team, Manhattan hit .177 (63-28-198) in the match.
Erica Haslag led the Braves with 14 kills. She added seven digs and six blocks. Turner recorded 13 kills and four blocks, while Livaudais had 10 kills, eight digs and four blocks. Afton Sobasky had a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs, and Jessica Teel contributed 25 assists, eight digs and six aces. Taylor Thiele also just missed a double-double for Bradley, finishing with 14 digs and nine kills. Cordelia Murphy tallied seven blocks for the Braves, who outblocked the Jaspers 14-7. Bradley also held a 90-81 advantage in digs, with Lea Sack posting 28 digs, eight assists and four aces, and Abby Ihrke adding 13 digs. The Braves hit .234 (62-21-175) as a team.
Manhattan returns to Draddy Gymnasium for the “Battle of the Bronx” against Fordham (2-5) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. It will be the first meeting between the Jaspers and Rams since the 2011 season.
