Box Score PURCHASE, N.Y. – Manhattanville had no answer for DeSales freshman Lauren Hess, who led all players with 17 kills, as the Valiants dropped a 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-14) decision to the Bulldogs in a Freedom Conference matchup on Tuesday evening at Kennedy Gymnasium.
 
Hess was nearly perfect on the day for the visitors, posting 17 kills and one error on 26 attempts (.615 hitting). Manhattanville senior Susy Camaj (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Millbrook) nearly matched her in terms of effectiveness, putting down 13 balls on 32 attempts, while also adding a team-best 11 digs for the match's only double-double. The NCAA leader in service aces entering today, Camaj added three aces to her total to give her 79 for the year, matching the program single-season record set by Victoria Long '88 in 1987.
 
DeSales as a team hit .396 on the evening, posting 45 kills with only seven errors in 96 attempts. Manhattanville did not hit poorly, making only 12 errors on 98 attempts, but the remainder of the squad managed only 10 combined kills.
 
Manhattanville had a match-best 11 kills in the opening set to stay with DeSales at the start of the frame, remaining within two points at 10-8. But the Bulldogs went on an 11-2 run to put the frame away, as the squad posted 16 kills – including seven by Hess – to take the set-one win.
 
The visitors were most impressive in the middle frame, when they hit .429 with 17 kills and only two errors. The Valiants got the first point of the set on a Camaj kill, but DeSales rattled off 16 of the next 18 points to take control. Camaj was the home team's main source of offense in the middle set, posting six of her team's seven kills.
 
DeSales finished off the match with an efficient third set, turning 12 of its 25 attacks into kills, while Manhattanville managed only five kills as a team in the set.
 
Manhattanville will return to action on Friday night, as the Valiants travel to Hunter for a non-conference matchup beginning at 6 p.m.