KINGS POINT, N.Y. – In a 2021 Skyline Championship rematch that lived up to the hype, the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team won a five set thriller of the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Thursday night, 3-2. The win (26-24, 25-20, 21-25, 24-26, 15-8) makes the Valiants 10-2 on the season with a 3-0 Skyline Conference mark.

In their first five-set fight of the year, the Valiants received great performances out of the trio of Alejandra Figueroa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell), Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) and Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School). After being key players in last year's team that fell to USMMA in the Skyline finals, the three led the Valiants to the win to put last year in the rear window and continue one of the best starts to a season in program history. Figureoa led the attack with a 25 kills effort, setting a new career-high for the graduate student.

Vital earned 56 assists, the second highest single-match total in program history. Vital now holds the top three assist performances in the history of Manhattanville volleyball and four of the top five. Ballagas, meanwhile, was Manhattanville's defensive leader with 31 digs. It was a new season-high for the sophomore and the second highest dig total of her career.

Alongside the leading trio, Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) had a great performance all over the court. The back-to-back Skyline Rookie of the Week is making her case for a third-straight selection after an 18 kill, 25 dig effort in the win, both of which are new season highs.

The Valiants took the first two sets of the night, though neither would come easily. The largest lead of the opening frame would be a three point advantage held by both teams as Manhattanville and USMMA matched each other serve for serve. The Privateers would take the first three point lead of the night at 11-8. After six more tied scored, the Valiants were able to put together a string of three unanswered points to go ahead 22-19. USMMA quickly evened the score and played to a 24-24 stalemate where the Valiants were able to capitalize on a ball handling error by Paige Smith to regain the serve before a block by Vital and Hannah Pena (Goshen, N.Y./Goshen) gave Manhattanville the first set win, 26-24.

After neither team was able to put together a sustained rally in the first set, Manhattanville was able to carry the momentum into set two with a 10-5 opening run. The Valiant lead would climb as high as nine at 17-8, but USMMA refused to roll over. Trailing 20-13, the Privateers won the serve back on a Hernandez attack error. That began a five point run that cut Manhattanville's lead all the way down to two. A timeout allowed the Valiants to recoup, coming out of the break with five of the final seven points to win the set 25-20 and take the 2-0 lead.

While the Valiants were poised to win yet another match by sweep, the Privateers were eager to showcase why they are the reigning conference champs. USMMA was able to rattle off wins in sets three and four to send the match to a pivotal set five. In another back-and-forth set three, USMMA used a 6-0 run in the middle of the frame to go ahead 13-9, a deficit that the Valiants were unable to come back from as the Privateers got on the board with the 25-21 win. Set four looked to be going in Manhattanville's favor with the Crimson and White leading 12-6, but a 9-1 USMMA run made the Valiant lead disappear. The teams battled to seven more tied scores to the second 24-24 lock of the night, but unlike set one, it was the home team earning the next two points to send the match to a full five.

Playing their longest match of the season, the Valiants seemed to kick into another gear in the fifth set with five of the first seven points en route to an 8-3 lead that forced USMMA to call timeout. The Valiant lead continued to climb up to 11-5, and while the Privateers would pull closer with two straight points, a crucial three point run put the Valiants on the brink of victory. A Smith kill for USMMA won the Privateers back the serve, but following a long volley, Felicity Hoffert (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown East) closed out the night with the match-winning kill to keep the Valiants perfect in conference play.

Up Next
The Valiants are home on Monday night, hosting Mount Saint Mary for a Skyline tilt at 7 p.m.

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