Staten Island, NY | The Dolphins stepped onto their court for the final time this season with heavy CUNYAC Playoff implications on the line. Staten Island had a shot at the number three seed and hosting duties, however, Baruch played spoiler on Senior Night, dropping the Dolphins in straight sets, 3-0. The loss drops the Dolphins down to 10-14, 5-3 while the Bearcats improved to 9-15, 5-3. 

Before the match got underway tonight, three seniors were honored for their service as a Dolphin. Alexandria Boachie-Ansah, Cassidy Iannariello, and Liliana Vaquez were given commemorative posters by the athletic department for outstanding careers. 

The Dolphins and Bearcats flip-flopped in the early goings of the opening set. With the set knotted at three, the Bearcats used a 5-0 run to open the game up and take the lead for good. Staten Island struggled to put back-to-back points together to get on a run which kept them at a distance all set. Margaret O’Malley-Rebovich brought the Dolphins within six after a pair of kills but the Dolphins were unable to build off of that momentum. 

In set two, the Dolphins quickly fell into a 4-0 hole but were able to regroup and climb out of it when Caitlin Esposito tallied a pair of kills. Staten Island had an 11-10 lead after back-to-back service aces by O’Malley-Rebovich but saw that lead quickly disappear when Baruch went on an 8-0 run fueled by Anita Sengara and Stella Chung. After having momentum switch over to the Bearcats, CSI was unable to make the comeback as they would fall, 25-14.

 With their backs against the wall, the Dolphins were unable to muster up enough offense to knock off the Bearcats. Baruch College jumped out to a 7-1 lead and it took the Dolphins awhile to claw their way back into the set. Francesca Castellano was able to make it a three-point game with a pair of aces but once again Baruch went on another run to extend their lead. CSI attempted to make a late push but it was too little too late as the Bearcats would secure the victory and prevent the Dolphins from earning the three seed.

O’Malley-Rebovich led the Dolphins with 10 kills and a strong .364 hit percentage. Castellano followed closely behind with seven while Arianna Spears added a team-high 22 assists.

The Dolphins will now wait to see who they have to play in the CUNYAC Playoffs which start on Tuesday, October 30th. 
 

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