PURCHASE, N.Y. – Behind a match-high 12 kills from junior Asia Reid (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nellie A. Thornton High School), the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team clinched a berth in the MAC Freedom Tournament for the first time in program history with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-15) victory over FDU-Florham on Wednesday evening at Kennedy Gym.
 
Manhattanville (15-8, 4-3 MAC Freedom), which entered the season with only nine conference victories in its first nine years in the MAC Freedom combined, secured its first conference tournament berth since 2001 as a member of the Skyline Conference. The Valiants finished the conference slate in a tie for third place with FDU-Florham (15-13, 4-3 MAC Freedom), but earned the head-to-head tiebreaker to take the third seed and earn a date with second-seeded DeSales University next Wednesday in Center Valley, Pa.
 
Reid had a big game to lead the Valiants, putting down her 12 kills on only 25 attacks as the only player on either side to reach double digits. Classmate Meagan Dattoma (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) and sophomore Laura LiVolsi (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) both recorded seven kills each while adding 14 and 12 digs, respectively, while junior Kerry Mackey (Smithtown, N.Y./Christ the King) was big at the net with six kills and four blocks.
 
Senior Adrianna Alves (New Rochelle, N.Y./Maria Regina) led a solid defensive effort with a team-best 15 digs, while classmate Sam Miano (Bronx, N.Y./Maria Regina) chipped in 11 digs, four aces and four assists. Fellow senior Megan Quinabo (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) added 28 assists, eight digs and two kills for the home team as well.
 
The Valiants jumped out to an early 13-6 lead in the first set before the Devils mounted a comeback, eventually tying the set at 16 on a kill from Kate Quinlan. But a ball-handling error put the home team back in front and a pair of Mackey kills helped to cement that edge, as the Valiants outscored FDU 9-3 the rest of the way.
 
Manhattanville again found itself tied midway through the second stanza at 11-all before six straight points – including three Reid kills – gave the Valiants the edge they needed to take control of the middle frame.
 
The home team held a slight 16-14 lead in the final frame before the Valiants closed the door with a 9-1 run, with Miano serving up three aces as part of a 6-0 stretch that closed out the match and sent the Valiants to the conference tournament.
 
Before the postseason, Manhattanville will finish regular-season play on Saturday, as the Valiants honor their four graduating seniors with Senior Day during a home tri-match with New Jersey City University and the College of Staten Island.  The Valiants start the day versus NJCU at 11 a.m., and then will honor their seniors before a 3 p.m. matchup with CSI.