PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – Bouncing back from a first set loss, the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team took three straight sets to earn a road victory over Saint Joseph's-Long Island on Wednesday night. The 3-1 win (19-25, 25-12, 25-14, 25-12) improves the Valiants' record to 17-5 overall and 8-1 in Skyline Conference play.

For a second straight match, Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) led the offensive effort with 11 kills. Hannah Pena (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) put away nine balls, while Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) added eight kills. Manhattanville's 40 assists on the night were led by 31 from Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro), while Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) added seven and Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) set a pair of kills.

That same trio would also be the team's defensive leaders on the night, combining for 35 digs. Ballagas led the effort with 17 digs while Vital added 10. Figueroa dug eight balls, matching Ruiz' total on the night. The Valiants also had a great night playing on the net, racking up 14 block assists. Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) had a team-best five blocks in win.

The Golden Eagles hit a phenomenal 31 percent in the first set, overcoming an early 6-2 Manhattanville lead. With Saint Joseph's making next to no mistakes, the Valiants watched their lead disappear as the home team climbed ahead 14-12. A 5-0 Golden Eagles run followed soon after to make the score 19-13, allowing Saint Joseph's to pick up the 25-19 first set win.

Not discouraged by the early deficit, the Valiants responded with thunder to open up the second frame. The Golden Eagles took the first two points before Manhattanville rattled off 10 unanswered. While Saint Joseph's was able to regain some ground with four straight points of their own, another long 6-0 run by Manhattanville put the Vals in control, 17-7. The gap was too much for the home squad to cover as the Valiants evened the match up at a set each with the 25-12 win.

While the Valiants would be unable to replicate the long run success in set three, Manhattanville was able to hold Saint Joseph's to just four points while in control of the serve to keep the ball in their hands. A series of short runs followed by a 6-0 stretch gave Manhattanville a 12-4 advantage. The Valiants would use multiple two and three point swing throughout the rest of the set, earning a 25-14 win following an ace off the serve of Ruiz.

It was more of the same in the fourth set, with the Golden Eagles scoring just three times with the serve on their side of the court. A pair of 4-0 Valiant runs gave Manhattanville a 10-4 lead as the visitors continued to methodically build up their lead. A 5-0 run all but sealed the deal, putting Manhattanville up 22-9 as the Valiants left Long Island with the 25-12 decision in set four.

Up Next
It's another trimatch weekend for the Valiants, as Manhattanville heads to Pennsylvania to compete in the Scranton Tri-Match beginning at noon on Saturday.

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