PURCHASE, N.Y. – For a fourth-consecutive season, the Manhattanville College women's volleyball team will be playing for a conference championship as the top-seeded Valiants defeated No. 4 Farmingdale State in three sets in Thursday's Skyline Conference Championship Semifinals. The Valiants improve to 19-11 on the season and will meet No. 2 Saint Joseph's Long Island in Saturday's finals.

Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) and Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) led a two-headed attack, combining for 29 kills in the win. Hernandez logged 15 putaways while Ruiz finished the night with 14. Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) was also a frequent contributor with nine kills for the Valiants.

Hernandez would post her eighth double-double of the year as she was also a defensive standout with 16 digs. She trailed only Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) in the defensive category who had a season-high 23 digs to lead the team. Vital would collect a double-double of her own as she added 34 assists. Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) joined the defensive leaders with 14 of her own digs alongside seven assists.

It was a strong start for the Valiants as a Hernandez kill and a pair of Vital aces put the Valiants up 3-0 to begin the match. Farmingdale would ultimately be unable to close the gap, despite pulling within one on four separate occasions. Up 9-8, another three point run featuring kills by Vital and Hernandez and an ace by Nina Melchiorri (Belle Harbor, N.Y./Scholars' Academy) have the Valiants some breathing room as their lead would never dip below three points for the rest of the set. Later down the line, a string of four unanswered points put the Valiants on the brink of set point, 23-15. A kill by Madeline Stanley brought the ball back into Farmingdale's possession, but a service error and a final ace by Vital gave the Valiants a 25-16 win.

Both teams would showcase their best hitting percentage in the second set, with neither squad being able to pull away until the late going. The Rams would take the upper hand on a three-point run to go up 5-3 and would remain in front until the Valiants equaled the score up at 7-7. After the Rams went back in fron with a Kalena Ricketts kill, the Valiants rattled off four straight on a pair of Hernandez putaways, one by Morales and another Vital ace. The 11-8 lead was shortlived as Farmingdale went on a 5-0 run, but Manhattanville responded with the next five points for themselves to go up 16-13. The lead remained in Manhattanville's hands for the duration of the set, climbing as high as five at the 23-18 mark. While the Rams were able to pull closer, the score was not on their side as an attack error brought an end to a comeback bid, giving the Valiants their second set, 25-22.

Opening the third set on an 8-1 run, the Valiants took immediate control of what would prove to be the final frame of the night. The Rams were unable to make up for the large early deficit, only managing to get back within four. Ending the match on a 4-1 run, Hernandez logged her final kill of the night on match point, sending the Valiants back to the finals with a 25-17 third set win.

Up Next
Earlier in the night, No. 2 Saint Joseph's Long Island defeated No. 3 USMMA in five sets, setting up a Valiant-Golden Eagle final on Saturday. Opening serve for the match is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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