MAHWAH, N.J. – Opening a second-straight week in New Jersey, the Manhattanville University women's volleyball team got back into the win column on Tuesday night at Ramapo, defeating the Roadrunners in four sets. The win (25-15, 21-25, 25-18, 25-16) snaps a five-match skid for the Valiants, improving the team's record to 3-5 on the year.

Manhattanville put together one of their best team performances of the year, tying their season high of 45 kills while recording new single-match bests of 62 digs and 15 service aces. Loren Hernandez' (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) fourth double-double of the year saw the junior outside hitter post a season-high 16 kills, hitting .361 on the night. Hernandez added 11 digs defensively to reach double-figures for the fourth time this year.

Ayla Ruiz (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Andrew's Schools) also had a strong offensive night, finishing only behind Hernandez on the team with 10 kills. The senior also had her serve working as Ruiz notched six aces, her highest single-match total since 2022 against Mount Saint Mary when she had eight. Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) rounded out Manhattanville's offensive leaders with a season-high eight putaways.

Alana Rivera (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) joined Hernandez with a double-double of her own, the sophomore's second of the year. Rivera posted new personal highs of 36 assists and 18 digs, making plays all over the court.

Grace Ballagas (Carolina, Puerto Rico/Robinson School) joined in on the fun with 21 digs to pace the Valiants. It was the senior libero's second time eclipsing 20 digs on the season, the first time since she earned 22 in the season-opening win over Simmons on Aug. 30.

Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) and Alyssa Bucci (Rye Brook, N.Y./Blind Brook High School) also found success on the serve on Tuesday, both logging four aces in the win.

After battling to five different tied scores in the opening set to bring the frame to 7-7, the Valiants seized momentum on a 4-0 run that saw a pair of Ruiz aces and a Hernandez kill. Manhattanville never trailed the rest of the way after taking the 11-7 advantage, limiting the Roadrunners to just three points while Ramapo controlled the serve for the rest of the set. A late 5-0 run that sandwiched three Ramapo attack errors between a pair of Ruiz putaways put the Valiants up comfortably 22-12, earning the set win six rallies later, 25-15.

Ramapo pulled even in the second set as the Roadrunners hit a match-high .100 compared to Manhattanville's night-low of -.026. The Valiants returned to their opening frame form in the third to retake the lead. Following a similar script to the start of the opening set, the teams traded points up to a 6-6 score. Hernandez logged a kill to put Manhattanville in front and began a string of seven straight points to erupt to a 13-6 lead. The Roadrunners, however, were not quite ready to let the Valiants run away like the team did in the opener as Ramapo scored seven of the next eight points to trim Manhattanville's lead down to the slimmest of margins, 14-13. The Valiants were able to hold on to the advantage a bit longer, but Ramapo eventually pulled even at 18-18 on the heels of a four-point run. After their lead was erased, Manhattanville pounced on the opportunity provided by a Ramapo attack error, scoring seven straight points to win the frame 25-18. Jennings piloted the run on the service line, logging three aces as part of the run while Ruiz and Andriola each supplied a kill.

The Valiants circled in on the win with another pivotal run in the fourth. With Ramapo ahead 11-9, Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) regained the serve for the Valiants with a kill. The junior's putaway was the first of eight unanswered points registered by Manhattanville to go ahead 17-11. Ramapo was unable to mount a response as Manhattanville got back into the win column with the 25-16 win.

Up Next
The Valiants bid one final farewell to New Jersey on Saturday to wrap up a stretch of seven-straight contests in the Garden State. Manhattanville will take on Drew and Hunter in a tri-match, with the Valiants first taking to the court in Madison at 1 p.m.

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