The College of Staten Island women’s volleyball squad opened up CUNYAC play this afternoon at Lehman College for a trimatch, and although the Dolphins were in perfect position to take both ends of the trimatch, they managed a split. CSI won their opener against City College of New York, 3-1, but later fell to host Lehman, 3-2. With the split, CSI now stands at 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the CUNYAC. CCNY fell to 1-2 with the loss while Lehman improved to 2-2.
In the opener, CSI got 11 kills from junior Vanessa Reyes and 9 from Siobhan Granich, as CSI opened up a 2-0 lead after two sets, winning 25-18 and 27-25. CCNY was able to get a win on the board with a 25-20 win in set three, pouring in six kills next to just three errors. Meanwhile, CSI committed 12 attack errors in set three.
Needing a lift, CSI responded with a solid fourth set. Down 13-7, CSI responded with a 7-1 run, helped along by a Reyes kill and ace. That set the tone for a CSI run to the tune of 8-0, and CSI cruised the rest of the way, winning that final set 25-15.
The Dolphins then locked up with Lehman, and took the first set, 25-20, but Lehman came right back to win the second frame, 25-21. In a big third set, CSI got a great performances from all in a 25-15 win. Caitlin Esposito scored a couple of key kills, part of a team high eight on the day for her. In what could have been the deciding set, CSI was positioned well, leading 16-11 and then 18-14, but then Lehman immediately responded with a 6-2 run, and they would seize a 25-23 win, setting up a fifth and deciding set.
Lehman immediately seized momentum and control, ripping off the first 7 points of the set in a one-sided 15-5 win.
CSI was led by Victoria Wong’s 26 assists.
The Dolphins are next in action on Tuesday, taking on Yeshiva University at Baruch College at 8pm.
