PURCHASE, N.Y. – Squaring off with a formidable foe in the reigning MAC Freedom champions Stevens Institute of Technology, the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team dropped a tight 3-1 match to the Ducks on Friday night. The loss snaps Manhattanville's modest four-match win streak, dropping the Valiants to 6-2 on the year.

Despite the loss, the Valiants got strong performances out of a number of their playmakers. Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) set a new-season high with 15 kills to lead the Manhattanville attack effort on the night. Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) would join her in double-figure putaways with 12, notching her second double-double of the year with 15 digs as well.

On the topic of digs and defensive play, Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) was once again all over the court for the Valiants with 27 digs. She was one of four members of the Crimson and White to reach double-figures in the defensive category, as she was joined by Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) (18), Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) (17), and Figueroa.

Vital was back at serving as the Valiants' primary setter, collecting 32 of the team's 41 assists. The senior was also one of three Valiants with three aces in the contest alongside Figueroa and Hoffert.

In what was a tightly-contested match all night long, the Valiants and Ducks played to 17 total tied scored and 11 different lead changes across the four sets. Manhattanville would get the momentum started with the first two sustained runs of the night, stringing together a 5-0 and a 4-0 run to go ahead 14-9 midway through the first frame. Facing their largest deficit of the early going, the Ducks responded with an 8-0 run to pull back ahead, 17-14. Manhattanville was able to pull back within one, but a 3-0 Stevens run regained some breathing room before the Ducks closed out the 25-21 opener.

The Valiants bounced back nicely, taking the second set 25-19. A pair of three-point runs was able to give the home squad some distance, but Stevens kept inching closer, pulling to within one at 9-8. Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) was able to win the serve back for Manhattanville with a kill, kicking off a 6-0 run that gave the Valiants enough separation to secure the lead for the rest of the frame and tie the match at one set apiece.

While Manhattanville seemed to have the momentum carry over into the third set, scoring the first four points of the frame, the Ducks eventually jumped in front with a 6-0 run. The Valiants were able to even the score at 10-10, but Manhattanville would be unable to put together a string of more than two consecutive points for the remainder of the set. Stevens made the most of it, piecing together a piar of pivotal 3-0 runs, to take the set 25-21 on the verge of victory.

The fourth set was the wildest of the night, feature nine tie scores and seven lead changes. The longest run either squad was able to piece together was four as the teams matched each other blow-for-blow. With the Valiants nursing a 9-7 lead, Stevens was able to generate that 4-0 run to go ahead 11-9, a lead that would protect for most of the way home. After pulling to within one on six separate occasions, the Valiants were finally able to jump back in front at 22-21. However, Stevens would score four of the night's final five points to narrowly take the set 25-23 and secure the hard-fought win.

Up Next
The Valiants will now make the trip to Hoboken tomorrow to visit the home court of the Ducks. Manhattanville will partake in a neutral court tri-match at Stevens tomorrow starting at noon, taking on Farmingdale State and Brooklyn College.

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