NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Sophomore
Alicja Pawelec posted 17 of her career-high 25 kills in the final two frames in a four-set win over Canisius at the Hynes Center. Down 24-21 in the fourth, Pawelec rattled off five straight kills to launch the Gaels to a victory.
The Maroon & Gold dropped the first set 25-23, trailing the entire way. Iona spotted the Golden Griffins five points to start the second set, though it was quickly erased by a 5-0 run. Seven ties and three lead changes marked the see-saw frame. With the score knotted at 14-14, the Gaels went on a 6-0 run to take command and finally the set, 25-23.
Set three mirrored number two, with nine ties and five lead changes. Iona pulled away at 16-16 with a 7-0 run, a stretch that included three straight aces by freshman MB
Catrina Warren. The Maroon & Gold closed out the set 25-19.
In the fourth, the Gaels jumped out to an early 10-4 lead, but Canisius would respond with seven straight points to take an 11-10 lead. The run extended to 17-6 and a five-point, 21-16 advantage. With the match just a point away from a deciding fifth set, Pawelec put down five straight balls including a tip over the blockers to win the match, 26-24.
Like her teammates, Pawelec rebounded from a tough Saturday afternoon vs. Niagara to post a career-high 25 kills. Her previous high also came against the Griffs, an 18-kill performance in the MAAC Semifinals last November. Pawelec's kill-total was the third best four-set mark in the last decade, behind former standout Miki Hogg's 28 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 2005 and 27 vs. Canisius in 2004. Adding a career-high six aces and two blocks, Pawelec's 32.0 point effort was also the third-highest point effort since 2000. Pawelec also completed her fifth double-double of the season with 11 in the win.
Warren added 11 kills and hit .389 for the match. She posted seven digs, seven blocks and three aces in the win. Sophomore OH
Madisyn Spence posted 10 kills, four digs and a block in the win. Senior S
Nicole Tamburri - returning to the lineup this weekend for the first time this season - posted 48 assists, her second-highest single-match total in Maroon & Gold. She just missed a double-double with nine digs and added three blocks.
Canisius' Danielle Brawn posted 20 kills and nine digs, Emily Elek had 11 kills and eight digs and Layne Adams had seven kills and seven blocks in the loss.
The Gaels continue MAAC play next weekend on the road at Siena (Sep. 24) and Marist (Sep. 25).
