MADISON, N.J. – In a close match between close conference rivals, the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team dropped a tough 3-1 (25-23, 25-11, 22-25, 25-23) decision to FDU-Florham in both teams' 2015 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom opener on Wednesday night at the Ferguson Recreation Center.
 
Junior Alissa Primavera (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) had a team-high 11 kills for Manhattanville (6-2, 0-1 MAC Freedom), while sophomore Kerry Mackey (Smithtown, N.Y./Christ the King) posted a match-best .435 hitting percentage with 10 kills on 23 errorless attempts. Junior Megan Quinabo (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) had the team's only double-double with 28 assists and 12 digs and also added three service aces, which moved her into the program's career top 10 with 149 (T-9th).
 
Melissa Gaffney and Lauren Harris led FDU-Florham (8-2, 1-0 MAC Freedom) with a match-high 15 kills apiece, while Kristi Wong added a triple-double with 22 assists, 15 digs and 10 kills to go with five blocks.
 
Manhattanville held a lead for much of the opening set, but the Valiants dropped the final four points after taking a 23-21 lead to fall behind by a set. Perhaps due to that disappointment, the middle frame was never close, as the home team jumped out to a 13-2 lead and never allowed the visitors to get in the frame.
 
The third frame saw neither team lead by more than three points, with the score tied on nine occasions. Tied for the last time at 18-all, Manhattanville went on a 6-2 run to get to set point and, after two FDU points, Primavera put down her eighth kill of the match to give the Valiants a 25-22 win that extended the match.
 
FDU took an early lead in the fourth set, earning seven of the first 10 points, but Manhattanville slowly began to chip away at the deficit. The Valiants were still down 12-9 before making their big push, a 9-1 run helped by two kills each from Primavera and sophomore Asia Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nellie A. Thornton High School) that put the visitors up 18-13. FDU pushed back with a 10-1 run of its own to take a 23-20 lead thanks to five straight Valiant hitting errors. The visitors got kills from Quinabo, Mackey and sophomore Meagan Dattoma (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) to get back within one at 24-23, but an attack error sealed the match for the home team.
 
Manhattanville will return to action on Saturday, as the Valiants host Farmingdale State College and William Paterson University in a tri-match at Kennedy Gym. The Valiants and Rams will start things off at 11 a.m., while the Valiants will close the day against the Pioneers at approximately 3 p.m.