The College of Staten Island women’s volleyball team managed to take a set, but in the end Lehman College prevailed in the CUNYAC Postseason Tournament Quarterfinal round over the Dolphins, 3-1. Lehman won the first two sets, 25-16, and 25-16, before CSI rallied to score a 25-17 win in the third set. Despite several leads, CSI fell in the final set, 25-20. Lehman will move on to the semifinal round, while the Dolphins’ season will finalize with an 8-17 record.
The opening set was a struggle between the two teams to get a stranglehold on the game. After Lehman registered early, CSI responded with a 5-1 run to grab a 10-8 lead, highlighted by a Vanessa Reyes kill and service ace. Lehman, however, would storm ahead thanks to a 7-2 response, thanks to two Jo-Marie Aquino kills.
From there Lehman cruised to a 25-16 win in the opener. Again, CSI was crisp early, this time taking a 4-1 lead in the second set, finished with a Selma Kolenovic ace, but in a recurring theme, Lehman had a worthy response thanks to a 7-1 run, this time highlighted by two Aquino kills and three service aces. CSI worked their way back to force a 9-9 tie, but then again, a 6-0 Lehman run took the wind out of the Dolphins’ sails, and Lehman rode another strong set to take a 2-0 set lead.
In the third set, CSI got the early momentum again, only this time they did not let up. The team started on a 10-3 bender, punctuated by a Kolenovic kill and ace and a kill by Rosamarie Gonzalez. Later, Lehman cut the lead to 15-13, but CSI snapped back by scoring a 10-4 run to close the frame from there and win, 25-17. Siobhan Granich finished the set with a pair of aces.
In what was the closest set of the match, the two teams battled hard in the fourth set, to the tune of five lead changes and eight ties. CSI seemed poised and in a good place with an 11-7 lead, finished with a Brittany Minondo kill, but again the Lightning had other plans. A Monique Young kill tied the game at 12-12. The biggest swing in the match came later with the score at 16-16.LC’s Salveira Gonzalez scored a kill, and then CSI was the victim of three straight attack errors, giving Lehman a commanding, 20-16, edge. The teams played even from there, but it was of little consolation to the Dolphins, who fell, 25-20.
Granich led the Dolphins attack with seven kills and Kolenovich added six. Still, CSI scored a -.073 attack percentage while Lehman spread out 35 kills on a .090 percentage. Aquino led Lehman with 17 kills, adding 13 digs. Kolenovic added 18 digs for CSI, while Victoria Wong topped the team with four aces. Both teams had 12 aces in the game.
Tonight marked the second-straight year that Lehman defeated CSI as part of CUNYAC Quarterfinal play. The teams also met in the 2011 round as well, another Lightning win.
