NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team is off to a 2-0 start to conference play following a three set sweep of Mount Saint Mary on Tuesday night. The win (25-10, 25-20, 25-14) improves the Valiants' overall record to 5-8 on the season.

Loren Hernandez' (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) 10 kills led the Valiants attacking effort on the night that saw the team sport a .316 attacking percentage, their second highest of the season. Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) put away nine balls, while Meghan Wildes (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) finished with five kills apiece.

Rookie Alana Rivera (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) put together her best game of her young collegiate career, leading the team in assists with 15 while tying the team-high with seven digs. Rivera was joined in the defensive category by her classmate Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) and Nina Melchiorri (Belle Harbor, N.Y./Scholars' Academy).
While playing just one set, Vianca Vital (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Perpetuo Socorro) was able to log 10 more assists in her frame of action. Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School), meanwhile, dug out six balls while also taking to the court for one set.

The Valiants wasted little time taking control in set one, scoring five straight points to open the set in part due to three straight aces by Vital. The lead quickly swelled to 11-2 as the Valiants held the Knights to just three points while in control of the serve for the entire set. A 7-1 run towards the tailend of the set moved the advantage to 22-5 in favor of the Valiants, and after Mount Saint Mary notched their final two points of the frame, Manhattanville closed the door with three final tallies to take the opener 25-10.

The Knights jumped out to a 4-1 advantage in the ensuring set before the Valiants scored six unanswered points to jump back in front for good. The Manhattanville lead climbed as high as six points at 18-12 before Mount Saint Mary showed some fight with five straight points to cut the gap down to a single point. The visiting squad reestablished some space with three straight points as part of a 7-3 run that earned a 25-20 win in the second frame.

After Mount Saint Mary took another small lead to begin the third set, the Valiants once again used a big run to take control, scoring six straight points to go up 8-4. From there, the Knights scored just twice while serving as the Valiants shut down any offensive opportunities Mount Saint Mary would have. A string of five straight points put the Valiants on the brink of match point, 23-13, before the Knights stopped the run with a kill by Ava DiScala. It would only hold off the Valiants momentarily, as kills by Hernandez and Brown ended the set and the match, 25-14.

Up Next
Conference play continues on Thursday night as the Valiants host Farmingdale at 6 p.m.

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