PURCHASE, N.Y. – The latest chapter of the Battle of Anderson Hill Road went to the Valiants, as the Manhattanville College volleyball team earned a sweep at Purchase College on Tuesday night. The win (25-11, 25-9, 25-8) is the Valiants' fourth straight and improves the Crimson and White's record to 11-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, HI/St Andrews Schools) made her first return to the lineup since Sept. 16, leading the Valiant attack with nine kills. As has been the story all season long, Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) was the team leader with 23 assists. Skyline Conference Libero of the Week Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) led the Valiants with nine digs, while Lia Eaglin (Houston, Texas/YES Prep Southwest) and Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) each had a block in the victory.

The Valiants once again found success in their serve game, recording 19 aces compared to just one by the Panthers. Seven different players recorded points directly off their serves, with Vital leading the team with five. Ruiz added four aces of her own, while Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) contributed with three.

Manhattanville only trailed once in the entire match, with the Panthers staking a claim to a one point lead early in the second set. In the first frame, the Valiants scored the opening four points ahead of a six-point run to take an 11-3 lead. The Panthers would pull to within five, but a 5-0 Valiant run effectively put the set away as Manhattanville would go on to claim the first frame, 25-11.

The Panthers would take their lone lead of the evening with a three point run in the second set, but the Valiants would score three straight to permanently take the advantage back. The Panthers would be unable to score any points off their serves for the remainder of the set as Manhattanville would use an 11-1 run to take a 20-6 lead en route to the 25-9 win. The Valiants scored the first five points and nine of the first ten of the third and final set. The early deficit was too much for the Panthers to fight back from, with Manhattanville cruising to the 25-8 final.

Up Next
The Valiants continue a three-game road trip on Thursday, traveling to the College of Mount Saint Vincent for a 7 p.m. match.

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