NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College volleyball team remained undefeated at home (5-0) with a four-set win over Sacred Heart at the Hynes Center.  The Gaels (12-6) used a season-high 15 blocks including a career-best 11 from rookie Rachelle Wilson in the victory.  The Maroon & Gold topped the Pioneers (12-6), 26-24,21-25,25-17,25-21.

Junior Sarah Wiener posted a team best 14 kills and posted four blocks of her own.  Wilson and sophomore Rachel Whitten each added eight kills.   Sophomore Allison Nieters had 23 digs and a career-high four aces.  Classmate Laura Fojanesi had her eighth effort of the season with 10+ digs tallying 13 for the Gaels.  Fojanesi was also unblemished in 11 service receptions.

Iona's 15 blocks topped a previous season-high of 11.5 vs. Indiana State earlier in the season.  The Gaels blocking corps has been highly successful over the last four matches, posting 10 or more team blocks in three contests over the stretch.

The Pioneers were led by a trio of performers with 10 or more blocks: Brittany Best (17), Maile Herthington (16) and Ashlyn Trimble (10).  The rest of the team combined for just 11.

Set 1:
The Gaels fell behind by six points at 19-13 and rallied for a 26-24 win.  Nieters led the charge and pulled her squad to a 20-20 tie with five straight services points late in the set.  Down 24-22, Whitten put home a kill and rookie Nicole Tamburri earned three straight service points with the final kill put to the floor by Wilson.  Whitten and Wilson each had four kills to lead the team.

Set 2:
Iona was unable to repeat its comeback of the first set and fell 25-21.  Down 12-9, Sacred Heart recorded seven of the next nine points to take a 16-13 lead.  The Gaels scored three straight to tie the score but a kill and an ace by Herthington put the Pioneers ahead for good.  Iona registed just eight kills in the set.

Set 3:
The Gaels turned up the defense and forced Sacred Heart to under zero for the set and never trailed in a 25-17 win.  Iona got off to a 5-0 start and took a 14-6 lead.  The Pioneers stormed back to within one point at 17-16 but the Gaels scored eight of the last nine points to hold off the charge.  Nieters posted six straight service points to end the set.  Wiener heated up with a team best three kills while Nieters had two of her four aces in the set.

Set 4:
The Maroon & Gold got off to another hot start with Whitten tallying six straight service points to begin the set.  Sacred Heart fought back again to tie the score at nine and again at 12 but the Gaels never relinquished the lead in the 25-21 win. Wiener recorded six of Iona's 11 kills while Nieters had 11 digs in the victory.

Iona looks to extend its three-match winning streak this weekend on the road when they take on Niagara and Canisius in MAAC action in Western New York.

GAME SCORES               1  2  3  4  TEAM RECORDS
Sacred Heart........ (1) 24 25 17 21  12-6
Iona College........ (3) 26 21 25 25  12-6