NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College volleyball team successfully opened conference play Saturday afternoon with a four set victory over MAAC foe Manhattan College at the Hynes Center. Set scores were 25-12, 25-14, 28-30 and 26-24.
The Gaels dominated the first set, picking up eight of the stanza's first ten points led by sophomore
Catrina Warren's four kills. Iona would continue to control the set, taking its first double digit lead at 16-6 on another kill by Warren. Manhattan would cut the lead to eight, at 16-8 before the Gaels picked up four straight points and wrapped up the set on junior
Alicja Pawelec's fourth kill of the opening frame.
The second set opened up tightly as the Gaels and Jaspers split the first ten points. The teams would trade points with Iona tying the set at nine on a kill by sophomore
Taylor Cembalisty. From there, Iona would close out the set on a 16-5 run to take a 2-0 lead.
The Jaspers would not go away without a fight, taking the third set. With the set tied at five, Manhattan went a 5-0 run to take a 10-5 lead. Iona fought back, taking an 18-15 lead. With Iona on the cusp of victory with a 24-22 lead, Manhattan score the next three points to secure a one point advantage. The Gaels would even the score and took the lead at 28-27 before Manhattan went on a 3-0 run to take the set 30-28.
Manhattan carried the third set momentum in the fourth, opening up an early 11-4 lead. The Jaspers would carry the margin all the way to set point, leading the Gaels 24-22. Iona would finish scoring the final four points of the frame to take the set 26-24.
In a game in which the squad posted a season best 69 kills and a .283 hitting percentage, Pawelec led the Gaels with a season high 23 kills and matched a season high with 15 digs. Warren tied a season high with 17 kills and added a career best 11 digs. Cembalisty had 11 kills on a career best .370 hitting percentage. Freshman
McKenzie Humann had seven kills while senior
Theresa Harvey led the defense with 31 digs.
The Gaels resume MAAC play Sunday, when they host Saint Peter's at the Hynes Center at 2:00 pm.
