PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team took the first set of Tuesday's Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom matchup with DeSales University, but the Bulldogs battled back to scratch out the final three sets and deal the Valiants a tough 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-22. 25-21) defeat at Kennedy Gymnasium.
 
Manhattanville (8-3, 0-2 MAC Freedom) managed to take a set off the Bulldogs for the first time in nine all-time matches, but the Valiants could not keep up the momentum after that. Gabby Savite' and Logan Wieziolowski combined for 33 kills and eight blocks to lead DeSales (10-5, 2-0 MAC Freedom) to a second straight conference win.
 
Sophomore Kerry Mackey (Smithtown, N.Y./Christ the King) led the Valiants with 13 kills despite only seeing 30 attempts, and also added a team-high three blocks. Sophomore Asia Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nellie A. Thornton High School) reached double figures for the first time in her career with 11 kills on .450 hitting, while junior Megan Quinabo (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) had a double-double with 37 assists and 14 digs  to go with a career-high-tying five kills.
 
DeSales jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first set, and continued to deny Manhattanville's advances for much of the frame. But down by four at 22-18, three DSU errors and an ace from junior Samantha Miano (Bronx, N.Y./Maria Regina) knotted the score at 22. After a Savite' kill put DeSales up one, Mackey then single-handedly finished the frame for the home team, putting down two kills and then blocking the attempt of Taylor Antoniewicz on set point.
 
The Bulldogs again started strong in the second set, scoring 11 of the first 15 points, and this time did not let the Valiants back into the frame on the way to evening the match at a set apiece. The third set again followed a similar script, and while the home team clawed all the way back to 24-22, the Valiants could get no closer as a Kait Anderson kill closed out the set.
 
Manhattanville finally got off to a good start in the fourth set, as three Mackey kills helped the home team take an early 10-5 lead. However, an 8-2 run for the visitors put them back in front at 13-12. With the set tied at 14, DeSales earned four points in a row on the serve of Laura Greenberg to take an 18-14 lead and the Valiants could not climb all the way back despite getting within two on five occasions.
 
The Valiants will look to shake off the loss this weekend at the Saint Joseph's (L.I.) College Tri-Match, where the team will take on Lehman and the host Golden Eagles on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.