PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University women's volleyball dynasty added a new chapter to its legacy as the Valiants captured the team's fourth-consecutive Skyline Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon in front of a raucous home crowd packing Kennedy Gymnasium. The top-seeded Valiants won the program's sixth-ever conference title, taking down No. 3 Saint Joseph's Long Island in a three-set sweep to punch the team's ticket to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The 2022-25 women's volleyball Valiants are the fifth program in school history to rattle off four-straight conference titles, joining the ranks of Manhattanville's elite with legendary softball (2016-2019), men's golf (2001-2004; 2016-2019), women's hockey (2002-2008), and women's swim and dive (1976-1980) programs.
Rookie
Cassidy Fallon (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) made a statement on the biggest stage of her young career, leading the Valiant attack with 11 kills on a staggering .733 swing percentage. It was Fallon's second time this season reaching double-figures, the first since back on Sept. 20 against Skidmore.
Fallon's classmate and Skyline Rookie of the Year
Caylin Caballero (Eastvale, Calif./Walnut) also reached double-figures with 10 kills, her 17
th time this year supplying ten or more terminations.
Loren Hernandez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/American Military Academy) added nine kills to go along with eight digs, two aces, an assist and a block as she earned Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors for a second-straight year.
Alana Rivera Torres (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Marista de Guaynabo) supplied 23 of Manhattanville's 37 assists, notching a double-double with 13 digs while serving a team-high six aces.
Samantha Andriola (Garden City South, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) and
Kayla Jennings (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland) joined Hernandez with two aces each themselves, with Andriola adding nine assists, four kills, two digs and a block while Jennings led all players with 15 digs.
The Valiants wasted little time taking control of the opening set, with Hernandez opening the day with her first kill on the opening rally to begin a 6-0 Manhattanville run. Andriola and
Emily Brown (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) added a kill each in the run while Rivera Torres collected her first two aces. Saint Joseph's was able to make up some ground at 7-4, but the Valiants seized control with 13 consecutive points to blow the doors open at 20-4. Fallon provided three kills in the run, while Jennings logged a pair of aces. Fallon would also deliver the final blow with her fifth kill of the set, giving Manhattanville the 25-7 opening frame win.
After trading serves for the first six rallies of set two, the Valiants went in front following a Caballero kill and pair of Andriola aces at 6-3. The lead never left Manhattanville's side of the scoreboard from that point on, building up a five-point advantage at 13-8. Saint Joseph's scored six of the next eight to get back to within one, but the Valiants regained distance with a response of a 6-1 run, going up 21-15. A final three-point burst with a Saint Joseph's ball handling error and Caballero and Fallon kills closed out the second, 25-17.
The Golden Eagles took an 8-7 lead to open the third before Manhattanville went on another sustained run, scoring four straight to capture the final lead change of the affair. Fallon got the run started with a kill ahead of a Caballero ace and two more putaways from Hernandez, putting the Valiants up 11-8. Two Rivera aces and Hernandez and Brown kills capped off another four-point spurt to further the lead to 16-10 while a 5-0 Valiant run put Manhattanville on the doorstep of victory at 23-13. An attack error put control of the serve back in the hands of the Golden Eagles, but Fallon's 11
th and final kill brought the match to set point. The Golden Eagles fought to stay alive, but their final swing sailed out of bounds, giving Manhattanville the 25-14 win and sending the team back to the dance.
Up Next
The Valiants are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history next week. Opponent and location will be revealed during Monday's selection show at 1 p.m.
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