New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College women's volleyball team ended the 2016 fall season with a 7-20 overall record and landed in 12th-place in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) with an 0-11 mark in league action.
In her second year at the helm of the program, head Coach Vanessa Rosario guided the Falcons to non-conference wins against York, Elms, Purchase State, Medgar Evers and CCNY. AMC swept the season series with York and Medgar Evers, defeating both the Cardinals and Cougars twice during the autumn. The team also won back-to-back matches on two separate occasions in 2016.
Following the campaign, senior defensive specialist Shanaya Bradley (Ansonia, Conn.) represented Albertus Magnus on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Bradley, who primarily saw action for Albertus Magnus at the service line and on the defensive end, has appeared in 42 matches over the past three seasons for the Falcons. During her career, she has recorded 16 aces and 32 digs. This season, she has recorded her first career kill in a GNAC setback against in-state rival St. Joseph (Conn.). In 2016, she has also set new career highs in aces, digs and points.
Albertus Magnus opened the year with two straight wins at the Blazer Invitational hosted by Elms. In the two-day event, the Falcons went 2-1 and saw junior setter Marielis Muriel (New Haven, Conn.) and freshman outside hitter Jesselle Guzman (Santa Teresa, N.M.) named to the All-Tournament Team. Muriel racked up 73 assists in three games, including a career-best 27 in a 3-2 setback against SUNY Cobleskill. She also added six service aces and 27 digs. In her first collegiate action, Guzman showed a balanced all-around game. The first-year produced 11 kills, seven service aces and 32 digs.
The Falcons hit a rough patch, dropping nine straight after their hot start. The team got back in the win column with a shutout triumph versus Purchase at home. Against the Panthers, The balanced AMC attack saw three different players record seven or more kills led by freshman outside hitter Ashley David (West Islip, N.Y.) with a game-high 11. Junior middle hitter Jacqueline Gonzalez (Ansonia, Conn.) had her strongest game as Falcon, recording eight kills thanks to an impressive .375 attack percentage. Junior middle hitter Ana Gomez (New Haven, Conn.) continued her steady play with seven kills, while senior outside hitter Amber Cohens (Hamden, Conn.) chipped in four of her own.
Next time out, the squad netted their fourth win of the campaign with a resounding 3-2 road win against Medgar Evers. Cohens led the offensive charge for the guests, accounting for a game-high 11 kills and eight service aces.
In the final month of the season, Albertus Magnus scored victories at home over Medgar Evers and York, while defeating CCNY, 3-1, On October 25. The win at CCNY was the final triumph for the team on the year, as Cohens and Gomez combined for 19 kills to lead the offensive attack for the Falcons.
Offensively, three Falcons topped the 150-kill mark this season, led by David with 168, while Gomez totaled 153 and Cohens recorded 150. Cohens also had a team-best .104 attack percentage and 53 service aces. In the middle, Guzman and Muriel combined for 510 assists. Muriel had 350 and Guzman chipped in 160 after taking over setting duties late in the season. At the service line, the duo also combined for 78 aces.
Defensively, four Albertus Magnus players registered 200 or more digs. Freshman libero Nashalie Bayona (New Haven, Conn.) had a team-high 221 digs, while classmate David was close behind with 220. Muriel had another productive season with 218 digs and Guzman added 204 of her own. At the net, Gomez had a team-leading 21 total blocks and Cohens had 20. In total, Cohens led the team in points, accounting for 221.0.
For the latest information on the women's volleyball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
