SCRANTON, Pa. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to six Sunday afternoon, Sept. 22, as the Valiants picked up a pair of four-set victories on the road over Cedar Crest College and hosting Marywood University.
 
vs. Cedar Crest
The Valiants (8-4) started off the day by jumping ahead 2-0 against Cedar Crest (3-6). They dropped a tight third set, but then bounced back strong and won the fourth set to come away with the 3-1 (25-17, 25-15, 25-27, 25-17) victory.
 
A pair of rookies dominated against the Falcons for the Crimson and White. Setter Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) and libero Geena Torres (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) controlled the pace of the match throughout. Vital, who chipped in three aces and a block, led all players with 48 assists, which ties for the seventh-most single-match assists in Manhattanville program history. Her 12 digs also made it her second-straight double-double, and seventh of the season. Torres notched a match- and season-high 34 digs to go with six aces.
 
Senior outside hitter Austen Brauer (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings) led the Valiants offensively with a match-best 20 kills on 47 swings for an efficient .319 hitting percentage. She added three aces, seven digs and a block and now has two straight matches with double-digit kills. Sophomore outside hitter Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) also had a solid match and finished with 12 kills and 13 digs for her second double-double of the season. Fellow sophomore right-side hitter Emma Dronzek (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) finished with a career-high 11 kills and a season-best five digs.
 
vs. Marywood
It was more of the same for Manhattanville in the second match, as the squad bested the hosting Pacers (7-7) in four sets (25-21, 25-21, 17-25, 25-14). Vital registered yet another double-double, her third straight and eighth of the year, as she led all players with 43 assists and five service aces and added a team-high-tying 20 digs – she and Torres tied for that team-best digs total.
 
Brauer once again was on top for the Valiants offensively and let all players with 14 kills – third-straight double-digit total – to go with a pair of aces, two blocks and four digs. Figueroa was also key in the victory as she totaled 11 digs and nine kills. Dronzek, who also notched nine kills, added a pair of digs and a block. Rookie right-side hitter Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) had a strong match as well and finished with a line of eight kills, two digs and an assist. Fellow freshman, middle blocker Hanna Pena, ended with six kills, a dig and a team-best three total blocks.
 
Riding high following a solid win streak, the Valiants next open Skyline Conference play for the first time since 2006. Manhattanville welcomes a pair of conference foes to Kennedy Gymnasium in Purchase, N.Y., this week. First, Sarah Lawrence College travels up the Hutchinson River Parkway for a 7:00 p.m. match on Tuesday night, Sept. 24, followed by a Thursday evening, Sept. 26, home match against Yeshiva University. The Crimson and White are 11-1 against the Gryphons and have won three straight, while they also took their only match against the Maccabees back in 2008.