PURCHASE, N.Y. – For the sixth-consecutive season, the Manhattanville University women's volleyball team will be playing for a conference title. The top-seeded Valiants swept the No. 5 seed Sarah Lawrence Gryphons on Thursday night in the Skyline Conference Championship Semifinals, bringing Manhattanville one win away from its fourth-straight Skyline crown.
The formula that generated success in the regular season once again steered the Valiants to victory in the semifinals. The outside duo of
Caylin Caballero (Eastvale, Calif./Walnut) and
Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) provided 30 of Manhattanville's 47 kills, finishing with 16 and 14, respectively.
Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) chipped in with another six while adding 20 assists, with her setter partner
Alana Rivera Torres (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) setting up 24 helpers.
Kayla Jennings' (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) 22 digs led all players and was her 11
th time this season surpassing the 20 dig mark. Hernandez also had 13 scoops on the defensive end for her 10
th double-double of her senior campaign.
In the rematch of last year's semifinal, the Valiants took the upperhand in the first with a 5-0 run featuring a pair of Hernandez kills and one from Andriola. While Manhattanville ultimately trailed after taking the 5-1 lead, Sarah Lawrence did not make it easy. The Gryphons had a response to every run the Valiants went on, quickly turning five and six-point deficits into ones of one or two. With the Valiants up 16-10, Sarah Lawrence rattled off five straight and later pulled back within one again at a 21-20 deficit. With the Gryphons in striking distance, the Valiants played some of their best ball of the opening set on a 4-0 run with kills from Caballero,
Cassidy Fallon (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and a pair from Hernandez to take the opener 25-20.
The Valiants took the lead again in the second thanks to a 4-0 run with back-to-back Caballero and Andriola kills ahead of a Jennings ace and Gryphon attack error, going up 6-3. The Gryphons struggled to get into a rhythm, settling for a maximum run length of two as the Valiant lead climbed to 21-12. With the Valiants circling in on set point, Sarah Lawrence went on a 6-1 run to push the score to 22-18. A service error opened the door for Manhattanville regaining the serve, allowing
Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) and Hernandez to provided the winning kills at 25-18.
Manhattanville saved its best for last, swinging .367 across the third set. Four straight points opened the frame for the Valiants as the home side never looked back. While Manhattanville's runs in the set capped at three and four, the Valiants did a stellar job and forcing side outs, limiting Sarah Lawrence to just five two-point runs across the third. Leading 21-14, a pair of Caballero kills sandwiched an Andriola ace brought the Valiants to match point. A service error prolonged things momentarily before
Kaiel Maynor (Newark, N.J./Science Park) delivered the final blow with the match-winning kill to send the Valiants back to the finals.
Up Next
With No. 3 Saint Joseph's Long Island defeating No. 2 Merchant Marine in the other half of Thursday's semis, a rematch of the 2023 Skyline Finals looms on Saturday. First serve between the Valiants and Golden Eagles is slated for noon inside Kennedy Gymnasium.
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