LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Iona University volleyball team faced the Siena Saints looking to build on their momentum from the previous match against Manhattan. After a competitive first set, the Maroon and Gold struggled to find their rhythm on offense and fell in three straight sets.

THE RUNDOWN: SIENA: 3, iona: 0

SET 1: The Gaels scored their first point of the match on a Saints attack error. After falling behind by three, the Gaels responded with three unanswered points, capped off by a kill from freshman Emma Koceja. With the score tied at six, the Saints answered with five straight points to take their largest lead of the set at the time at five. A service error ended the Saints' 7-0 run and gave the Gaels their seventh point. From there, the Maroon and Gold went on a 7-3 run to close the gap and make it 16-13. The score stayed tight until a block by junior Ezzie Thompson and sophomore Katherine Ferng tied the match at 21 after three straight points for the Gaels. The Saints then pulled away with three unanswered of their own and secured set point with a block to win 25-22.

SET 2: The Gaels struggled to open the set, falling into an early 4-0 hole. Their first point came on a service error. Trailing by four, the Gaels responded with three straight points, fueled by two kills and an attack error, to pull within one. The Saints quickly answered with a 4-0 run to extend their lead to five. An 8-3 stretch pushed the margin to 10, and the Saints closed the set on a 7-3 run to take it 25-13.

SET 3: The set opened with the Maroon and Gold falling behind by four. The Gaels earned their first point on a Siena attack error. After a Siena kill that extended the deficit to seven, the Gaels used their first timeout. Out of the break, they gained a point on a service error, but their offense continued to struggle. Nearing the midpoint of the set, the Gaels had managed only five points and trailed 15-5. Sophomore Taylor Timko and junior Buse Tinaz provided a brief spark with back-to-back blocks to cut the deficit to nine, but the Saints eventually closed out the match on a block to win 25-12.

IONA Performers

• Thompson led the attack for the Gaels with five kills. 
• Sophomore Jaylyn Simon led the team in assists with eight. 
• Sophomore Avery Gaume led the team in digs with 12. 
• Tinaz tallied five blocks on the day. 

THE OPPONENT

• Doga Diraz led the attack for the Saints with 11 kills. 
• Alara Doganyuz led the defense for the Gaels with 16 digs. She also led the team in assists with 17.  

UP NEXT

The Maroon and Gold return to action on the road tomorrow at 6 P.M. to face off against the Marist Red Foxes. The match will be streamed on Red Fox Network. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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