In the final contest of a women's volleyball tri-match hosted by Albertus Magnus College, the host Albertus Magnus Falcons (6-6) defeated the visiting Mitchell College Mariners (2-7) by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 24-26, 25-14). Both teams were coming off tough losses against Emmanuel College earlier in the day, and looking to bounce back with a victory in the day's final match. Junior Melissa Manning (Milford, Conn.) played an outstanding match leading the Falcons to the victory with her game-high 12 kills.
Kills were the key for the Falcons' in their victory, especially in the first set of the match, where they managed a team total of 11 kills. Freshman Jenna Dececchi (West Haven, Conn.) was a new addition to the Falcons' starting lineup and made her presence felt early with a kill that gave the Falcons' an 4-2 lead in the set. The Falcons never looked back winning the set 25-19, with match point coming on a powerful kill by junior Nicole Acerra (East Haven, Conn.).
The Falcons carried their strong play into the second set jumping out to an early 10-5 lead causing Mitchell to call a timeout to try and slow down the Falcons' momentum. The timeout did not do the trick as Dececchi served an ace extending the Falcons' lead to 11-5. Following the ace, the Mariners fired back with a run of their own, closing the Falcons' lead to one with the score 14-13. Head Coach Omar Ramirez countered with a timeout of his own, one that would swing momentum back in the Falcons' favor. After the timeout, the Falcons' went on an 8-0 run making the score 23-13 with Albertus on its way to a second set victory.
Up two sets to none the Falcons hit a rough patch in the third set as they surrendered an 18-15 lead late in the frame after a 7-0 Mitchell run. Mitchell College managed 14 third set kills en route to a 26-24 win, sending the match into the fourth set with the Falcons leading 2-1.
Albertus rebounded from the heartbreaking third set, using a mix of kills and Mariner errors to take control of the fourth set and ultimately the match. Another kill by Melissa Manning capped of an 8-0 Falcon run giving Albertus a 19-13 lead. The match concluded on a service ace by Manning giving the Falcons a 25-14 fourth-set win and a 3-1 match victory.
Senior Krista LaBissoniere (Meriden, Conn.) tied Mitchell College's Nicole Terni for the game-high in assists with 28. Freshman Kelsey Pendagast (Shelton, Conn.) also played a key role contributing eight kills to the Falcons' team total of 36.
The victory was the Falcons' sixth on the season, the most wins by any Falcons' women's volleyball team since 1996, when the Falcons' finished the season with 10 wins. Next up on the Falcons' schedule is a Tri-Match hosted by Mount Ida College, in which the Falcons will take on two GNAC conference foes, the AMCats of Anna Maria and the Mustangs of Mount Ida.
Written by Dan Kmiechick, Sports Information Intern