NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College women's volleyball team pulled off a thrilling five-set comeback to pick up a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win over Anna Maria College at home on Saturday afternoon on Homecoming. The Falcons split a league tri-match this afternoon, falling to Saint Joseph's Maine in the opener.
THE BASICS
MATCH 1 FINAL: Saint Joseph's Maine 3 | Albertus Magnus 0
MATCH 2 FINAL: Albertus Magnus 3 | Anna Maria 2
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (6-17, 2-6 GNAC) | Saint Joseph's Maine (10-15, 4-4 GNAC) | Anna Maria (3-14, 0-7 GNAC)
MATCH 1 BOX | MATCH 2 BOX
MATCH 1 VS. Saint Joseph's Maine
Set One: SJM 25 | Albertus Magnus 15
Set Two: SJM 25 | Albertus Magnus 15
Set Three: SJM 25 | Albertus Magnus 21
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• The Monks posted identical scores in the opening two sets, winning the first and second, 25-15.
• The Falcons battled in the third set, dropping a hard-fought 25-21 result.
• Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) and Diana Kalman (East Haven, Conn.) finished the match tied for the team lead with seven kills.
• Rachael Pellegrini (Clinton, Conn.) orchestrated the offense with all 14 of the team's assists.
• Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.) led the AMC defense with 10 digs.
TEAM HIGHS
Albertus:
Colleen Edwards & Diana Kalman – 7 Kills
Rachael Pellegrini – 14 Assists
Three tied with – 1 Ace
Amanda Zdru – 10 Digs
Three tied with – 1 Block
Saint Joseph's Maine:
Maggie Sylvester – 11 Kills
Hanna Holden– 27 Assists
Three tied with – 3 Ace
Victoria Briones–9 Digs
Regan Noonan– 2 Blocks
MATCH 2 VS. Anna Maria
Set One: Anna Maria 28 | Albertus Magnus 26
Set Two: Anna Maria 16 | Albertus Magnus 25
Set Three: Anna Maria 25 | Albertus Magnus 22
Set Four: Anna Maria 22 | Albertus Magnus 25
Set Five: Anna Maria 10 | Albertus Magnus 15
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons and AMCATS battled tough in the first set, with Anna Maria earning a 28-26 victory.
• Albertus evened the match in the second, cruising to a 25-16 triumph to make it a 1-1 match.
• Anna Maria returned and won the third set, 25-22, to take a 2-1 lead.
• The Falcons' comeback began in the fourth set, as the home squad picked up a tight 25-22 win to force a fifth.
• In the fifth, Albertus separated from the AMCATS, winning eight of the final 11 points after the score was tied at 7-7 to win the game, 15-10, and the match, 3-2.
• Shalese Gordon (Bridgeport, Conn.) posted her best performance as a freshman, tallying 30 assists and a match-high 18 digs for her first career double-double.
• Gordon also added six service aces to her impressive stat line.
• Kalman led the way for the Falcons in match two, hitting 14 kills across the five sets.
• Elizabeth Lynch (Stratford, Conn.) also shined with a season-high five blocks.
TEAM HIGHS
Albertus:
Diana Kalman–14 Kills
Shalese Gordon– 30 Assists
Shalese Gordon– 6 Ace
Shalese Gordon– 18 Digs
Elizabeth Lynch–5 Blocks
Anna Maria:
Sarah Burt – 18 Kills
Isabella Sand – 32 Assists
Four tied with – 4 Ace
Serena Dennis– 15 Digs
Five tied with– 5 Blocks
UP NEXT
The Falcons take a break from GNAC play on Monday, Oct. 17, for a non-conference showdown against Salem State. The opening serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Salem, Mass.
