SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team dropped a pair of four-set matches Saturday, September 7, in a tri-match hosted by Union College. The Valiants fell first to the hosting Dutchwomen (22-25, 25-12, 25-12, 25-8) and then to Middlebury College (25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 25-17).

The Valiants (2-4) got off to a hot start against a tough Union (5-0) squad and was able to take the first set by three points. The two teams went back and forth for the first part of the set as Union led 6-5 before Manhattanville went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-6 lead. The Dutchwomen closed the gap toward the end of the set with six of seven points to make it 23-22, but the Valiants closed it out. Unfortunately, that was the high point of the match for Manhattanville as Union came away with the 3-1 win.

Highlights vs. Union:

• Rookie Hannah Pena and sophomore Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) each posted seven kills. Figueroa also notched her second double-double of the season with 10 digs.
• Freshman Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) and sophomore Emma Dronzek (Yonkers, N.Y./Sacred Heart) each chipped in with five kills.
• Sophomore setter Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) finished with a double-double as well, totaling 22 helpers and a match-best 19 digs.
• Rookie libero Geena Torres (Middletown, N.Y./Pine Bush) finished with 11 digs.

Manhattanville's match against Middlebury (1-0) was much closer as the Valiants pushed the Panthers hard in the first two sets before trimming the match lead in half to 2-1 by winning the third set 25-20. Unfortunately, Middlebury was able to come away with the fourth-set advantage and take the match 3-1.

Highlights vs. Middlebury:

• Senior Austen Brauer (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y./Hastings) led the Valiants with 16 kills on 37 swings to hit .297.
• Figueroa notched double-digit kills for the second time in the three matches – 12 kills – and added six digs.
• Hoffert added eight kills and three digs, while Pena finished with five kills and two assists.
• Vital led all players with a match-high 33 assists and added a team-best 17 digs. It is her third double-double over her last four matches.
• Vital and sophomore Emily Gonzalez (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) each finished with a match-high-tying three service aces. Gonzalez added seven digs as well.
• Torres also contributed 14 digs.

The Valiants will return to the court this Wednesday night, Sept. 11, when they travel to Madison, N.J., to face former Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham. First-serve between Manhattanville and the Devils is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.