The College of Staten Island women’s volleyball squad suffered a straight-set loss tonight, falling to visiting Albertus Magnus College at the Sports & Recreation Center, 3-0. The Falcons won by scores of 25-17, 25-14, and 25-18. The Dolphins fell to 5-14 with the loss, while the Falcons, who arrived to the facility late, improved to 13-10.
Scheduled for a 6:00pm start, play got underway at 7:10, and when it did AMC got off to a quick, 3-1, start on an early kill by Kelsey Keller. CSI struck back and tied the game on three occasions before a 9-1 run by the Falcons opened up a 15-7 edge. Keller added two more attacks and Nicole Beard fired in two aces in the run. An ace by Keller opened up AMC’s biggest lead at 19-10. Two late kills by Margaret O’Malley-Rebovich got CSI closer but ultimately AMC was able to skate away with a 25-17 win.
CSI got off to a great start in the following set, opening up a 4-0 lead early thanks to a Jessica Cafiero ace and Jacqueline Roloph kill. Later, the Dolphins held an 11-7 lead, as Teresa Maresca added an ace. But AMC had time for a run and it was a big one, outscoring CSI 10-1, powered by two kills each from Ashley David and Genesis Cora Luquis. That put the Falcons up by a bunch, 17-12, and after CSI broke the run, AMC ended on another 8-1 spurt to take the middle set, 25-14.
The Falcons carried the momentum into the third set, posting a 5-0 rip to start the set with kills by Ana Gomez and Delaney Ruiz. CSI battled back, and came to within one on a Vanessa Reyes kill, and then CSI would force a 9-9 tie later via an AMC error. The game teetered back-and-forth until again, AMC found time for a run to put the set out of reach. This time, two kills by David helped promote a 6-0 run to make it 20-14, and from there AMC was able to keep the Dolphins at bay and score a 25-18 win.
Tonight’s match was the first in the series since 1994, and it marked Albertus Magnus’ first ever win against Staten Island. The Dolphins will next be in action a week from tonight, hosting John Jay College at the Sports & Recreation Center in what will also be their CUNYAC finale.
