BOSTON, Mass. – A successful start to the 2024 campaign, the Manhattanville University women's volleyball team secured the win in its season opener, defeating Simmons in four sets. The victory (25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23) has the Valiants beginning the quest for a third-straight conference title with a 1-0 record in 2024.

A two-pronged attack effort from Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) and Loren Herandez led the effort, as the outside hitter pair each recorded 11 kills. Sofia Morales (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) and Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) both put away seven balls, while Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) chipped in five kills to begin her junior year.

Defensively, libero Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) accounted for a leading 22 digs out of the team's 55 total. Ruiz and Alana Rivera (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) were also heavily featured in the defensive play with nine digs apiece, whole Hernandez added eight.

Speaking of Rivera, the sophomore shined in her first match as the team's primary setter. Rivera set 33 of the team's 42 assists. Ballagas added five helpers in her own right.

Servers were able to take advantage on both sides with 25 total aces. The Valiants held a narrow 13-12 advantage, led by four aces by Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) and three each off the hands of Ballagas and Hernandez.

Manhattanville came out strong, committing just two errors in the opening set to the tune of a .346 hitting percentage. Despite the Sharks hitting just .056, Simmons quickly jumped out to a 6-1 lead, fueled by a pair of aces from April Beatty. The Valiants shook off the early deficit and were able to narrow the gap down to two points at 4-6, before tying things up and ultimately taking the lead on a 4-0 run at 13-12. The teams battled to eight more tied scores up to 19-19 before the Valiants secured momentum off a kill by Hernandez. The junior's putaway was the start of a 6-1 run that secure the first set for Manhattanville as a Sharks service error and back-to-back attack errors wrapped the frame, 25-20.

The Valiants struggled to replicate the same hitting success in the following frame, committing seven errors to six kills. Simmons, conversely, put away a match-high 15 balls to even things up at a set apiece. Despite the hitting woes, the Valiants were able to stay in the fight and rally back late. The Sharks scored four of the first five points and led for a majority of the set, leading by as many as five points. The home squad's lead reached that peak on the back of three straight points to claim a 20-15 advantage. Ruiz put an end to the Sharks' streak and began one of Manhattanville's, with her kill beginning a 6-0 run that put the Valiants up for the first time in the frame. The resiliency ultimately came just too late, as Simmons logged five of the next six points to nab a 25-22 win to even things up.

Manhattanville fired back to the tune of a match-best .385 hitting percentage, posting 13 kills to just three errors. The Valiants seized momentum early with a 7-1 run to get things started. The Sharks quickly pulled back to within one with five unanswered points before going in front at 11-10 off pairs of kills from Zoe Chatterton and Meghan Doxsee. It was the Vals retaking the lead on a 4-0 run at 15-12 before the teams were evened at 18 apiece. A pair of Simmons attack errors, a Ruiz kill and a Hernandez ace were the difference maker in the set, as the 4-0 run put the Valiants firmly in front as the team marched to a 25-20 win.

The Valiants secured the win in the opener on the heels of six straight points to begin the set to take a lead they would never surrender. Manhattanville combined aces with Shark offensive miscues to jump out to a 16-6 lead. Simmons did not go away quietly, responding with a 5-0 run to cut the deficit in half. The Sharks continued to chip away, narrowing the gap down to two at a 20-22 deficit. A kill by Andriola and another Shark attack error put the Valiants on the match point, 24-20. With their final breath, the Sharks stayed alive with a pair of kills by Hannah Pridgeon and an ace by Beatty, but the Valiants secured the win on Morales' match-winner by way of Rivera to secure the 25-23 win in the fourth.

Up Next
The Valiants hang around in Boston for another day, competing in a tri-match at Emerson tomorrow afternoon. Manhattanville takes on Nazareth at 12:30 p.m. before returning to action against host Emerson at 3 p.m.

VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads and YouTube. #WeAreValiant #GoValiants