PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University women's volleyball win streak is up to eight following the Valiants' three-set sweep of Purchase inside Kennedy Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. The victory (25-10, 25-13, 25-14) keeps the Valiants alone atop the Skyline Conference perch, standing at 14-8 overall and 8-0 in conference action with just three Skyline matches left to go.

Meghan Wildes (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) led the Manhattanville attack effort with nine kills, her most since logging 15 putaways against Drew back on Sept. 14. The graduate middle swung .600 in the victory, the third time this year she's posted an attack percentage that high. Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) added eight kills, with Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) providing seven more.

Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) returned to the floor after being sidelined in the team's win over Mount Saint Vincent earlier in the week and was immediately back to her usual ways. The libero led the Valiants with 16 digs and six aces while providing five assists. Eva Kocovic (Bronx, N.Y./Maria Regina High School) also came up big on the defensive side with 10 digs, her second time this season reaching double figures. Alyssa Bucci (Rye Brook, N.Y./Blind Brook High School) added six more digs to wrap up the team's leading performers.

Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) handled setting duties, finishing with 26 of the team's 32 assists. The junior finished with five digs and a pair of aces.

A 7-0 run by the home team to open up the day had the Valiants running out of the gate early. A pair of kills by way of Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) and an Andriola ace were aided by three Purchase attack errors and a set error, putting Manhattanville up big against their neighbors. Manhattanville soon after went on a 10-0 run, fueled by four Ballagas aces to erupt to a 19-2 advantage. The Panthers were able to finally find a bit of a stride with the next four points, but it was too late to halt the Valiants as the team ultimately picked up a 25-10 win on a Lea McIntyre (Lansingburgh, N.Y./Lansingburgh) kill.

The Valiants continued to roll with a match-high 14 kills in the second set victory. Neither team found its footing until the midway point as Manhattanville protected a 9-7 lead. The home squad went on a 4-0 run off an Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) kill and three Panther miscues to gain separation at 13-7 and never looked back. Manhattanville all but put the set to bed with a 6-0 run that brought the score to 23-10, seeing three kills by Wildes. The Panthers hung around with three final points, but a service error and Ruiz kill closed out the 25-13 win.

Manhattanville capped off the sweep by once again pulling away midway through the third set. Tied a 6-6, a Panther service error opened the door for a four-point Valiant run. Purchase never got back within a three-point deficit from that point on, with the Valiants using multiple short runs to march towards victory before closing out the win with back-to-back kills by Ruiz and Brown.

Up Next
A busy week awaits for the Valiants as the team enters the final stretch of the regular season. Manhattanville plays three matches in five days, beginning on Monday night versus Saint Joseph's Brooklyn at 7 p.m.

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