FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team suffered their first conference loss of the season on Wednesday evening, dropping a three-set affair at Farmingdale State. The loss drops the Valiants to 11-3 overall and 4-1 in Skyline play.

The Valiants were led offensively by Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell), as the graduate student logged 12 kills. Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) added 10, while Skyline Rookie of the Week Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) had nine. Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) had 27 assists to set up the attack, while Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) added a season-high eight assists of her own.

Manhattanville had four players reach double figures defensively in digs, led by 14 by Ballagas. Vital and Figueroa completed double-doubles on the night with 13 and 11 digs, respectively, while Hernandez recorded 10.

While the Valiants were able to sweep Farmingdale earlier this season on a neutral court at Stevens, the Rams were determined to defend their home court. With the score evened at 5-5, Farmingdale went on a 5-1 run that Manhattanville would attempt to fight back from for the rest of the frame. Down 17-11, the Valiants began to claw back with four straight points, but the Rams responded with a run of five on their side, eventually building the lead up to 24-18, at the brink of taking the set. The Valiants pieced together five straight points, but a Hernandez service error gave the Rams the winning point to take the set 25-23.

The second set opened with the two squads playing to a 10-10 draw. Manhattanville would temporarily jump ahead, leading 14-12, but the Rams had another well-timed run up their sleeves, rattling off six straight points to jump back ahead 18-14. Once again, the Valiants hung around and almost erased the lead to make the score 24-22 in favor of Farmingdale. This comeback effort would also fall just short as a Farmingdale block by Kalena Ricketts and Kate Flamio notched the win for the Rams, 25-22.

The Valiants would lead for the early part of set three, building out an 8-4 advantage. The Rams responded in turn by playing to a 10-10 draw before a 3-0 Farmingdale run put the home team ahead for good. Manhattanville pulled back within one point on three separate occasions, but after making the score 19-18, the Rams scored six straight points to take the set 25-18 and the match, 3-0.

Up Next
The Valiants will look to bounce back on Saturday with a trimatch at New Paltz. Manhattanville takes on Suffolk ahead of a match with the host Hawks later in the afternoon.

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