PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University women's volleyball team's Quest for Four enters the postseason on Thursday night as the top-seeded Valiants play host to No. 5 Sarah Lawrence College in the Skyline Conference Championship Semifinals inside Kennedy Gymnasium. How We Got Here
For a third-straight season, the Valiants went 11-0 against the Skyline Conference in the regular season to secure the No. 1 seed for the Conference Championship. Manhattanville has won 46-straight matches against Skyline opponents, postseason included, dating back to October 11, 2022. Manhattanville capped off its perfect regular conference season on Nov. 5 in a four-setter at Sarah Lawrence. The Valiants dropped only four sets in Skyline play this year and went on a stretch of seven-straight three-set sweeps form Oct. 14 to Nov. 3.

Manhattanville had three All-Conference selections that have been crucial pieces for the Valiants all year. Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) was named Skyline Player of the Year for a second-straight season after leading the conference with 304 kills (3.80 per set) and becoming Manhattanville's all-time kills leader. The senior was a playmaker all over the floor, adding 246 digs, 37 aces, 14 blocks and 17 assists. Caylin Caballero (Eastvale, Calif./Walnut) was voted Rookie of the Year as Hernandez' offensive counterpart, providing 246 kills, 157 digs and 25 blocks. Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) has led Manhattanville's defensive play as the team's primary libero, named to the Second Team with 466 digs after leading the Skyline with 5.55 digs per set.

The Gryphons outlasted No. 4 Farmingdale in a five-setter in Tuesday's First Round. Sarah Lawrence finished 7-4 in Skyline play to earn the No. 5 seed and won the marathon affair against the Rams with a dominant 15-4 win in the fifth set. Athena Kazos (19 kills, 23 digs) and Nikolet Vataj (19 kills, 18 digs) paced the Gryphons with double-doubles in the win, while Sophia Costa provided 42 assists and four aces.

Last Time Out
The teams met to conclude the conference schedule in Bronxville on Nov. 5, with the Valiants earning a 3-1 (25-20, 25-15, 21-25, 25-23) win. Freshman standout Caylin Caballero (Eastvale, Calif./Walnut) led the Valiants with a 19 kill, 11 dig double-double, with Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) also providing 16 kills. Alana Rivera Torres (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) and Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) combined for 38 assists, while Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) led with 18 digs defensively. For the Gryphons, Vataj led with 15 kills, while Costa provided 31 assists and Kazos dug out 16 balls.

Postseason History
Thursday will mark the second-straight Skyline Semifinals matchup between the Valiants and Gryphons after Manhattanville earned a 3-1 (25-27, 25-20, 25-17, 25-21) win in Kennedy Gym in 2024. Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) shined with a 23 kills, 12 dig double-double, while Andriola provided 24 assists, Rivera Torres supplied 19 assists and Jennings finished with 13 digs.

Team Leaders
Manhattanville

• Kills Per Set: Hernandez (3.80), Caballero (3.19), Fallon (1.42)
• Assists Per Set: Rivera Torres (5.93), Andriola (3.68), Jennings (0.98)
• Digs Per Set: Jennings (5.55), Hernandez (3.08), Rivera Torres (2.05)
• Service Aces: Jennings (52), Rivera Torres (38), Hernandez (37)
• Blocks: Fallon (30), Brown (27), Caballero (25)

Sarah Lawrence

• Kills Per Set: Kazos (3.32), Vataj (3.01), Beck (1.69)
• Assists Per Set: Costa (8.14), Nash (1.58), Guemple (0.40)
• Digs Per Set: Kazos (2.96), Vataj (2.78), Costa (2.35)
• Service Aces: Kazos (40), Costa (38), Vataj (37)
• Blocks: Kelly (42), Richard (41), Costa (29)

History

• All-Time Record vs Sarah Lawrence: 18-1
• Streak: W15
• Series Record at Manhattanville: 10-0
• Last Five Matchups (Home team listed second):
  • 11/5/25: Manhattanville 3, Sarah Lawrence 1
  • 11/14/24: Sarah Lawrence 1, Manhattanville 3
  • 9/28/24: Sarah Lawrence 0, Manhattanville 3 (Neutral Court)
  • 10/17/23: Sarah Lawrence 0, Manhattanville 3
  • 10/25/22: Manhattanville 3, Sarah Lawrence 0

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