BALTIMORE, MD – The Iona University Volleyball team faced off against Towson and Lafayette to kick of their campaign at the 2025 Towson/Coppin State Invitational. In the first match of the day, the Maroon & Gold fell to Towson in five sets. In the second match of the day, Lafayette topped the Gaels in three sets. 

MATCH ONE: IonA 2, TOWSON, 3

• SET 1: The opening frame was a back-and-forth contest with neither team leading by more than two until Towson strung together five unanswered points to build a five-point advantage. From the 8-8 tie, the Maroon & Gold were outscored by 10, allowing the Tigers to take the set 25-15.
• SET 2: After falling behind by three early, the Gaels clawed their way back with a 10-4 run to grab a three-point lead. They never surrendered the lead the rest of the match and secured the set 25-22, with sophomore Taylor Timko delivering the decisive kill.
• SET 3: The Maroon & Gold carried their momentum into the third set, jumping out to a three-point lead. Towson responded with four straight points to reclaim control, then used an 8-3 run to extend their lead to five. The Gaels battled back with a 7-3 run capped by a kill from freshman Julia Leonardo to even the score. In a long win-by-two duel, the Gaels completed the comeback 30-28, with Leonardo sealing the set on another kill.
• SET 4: The Gaels started strong once again, opening with a 7-3 run. The Tigers countered with an 11-4 run to take command and create enough separation to close out the set 25-17.
• SET 5: Freshman Emma Koceja put the Gaels on the board first with a powerful kill. A diving dig from sophomore Avery Gaume set up Leonardo for another kill that extended the lead to two. Towson then answered with a 5-1 run to move ahead 9-7, and the Gaels could not find the offensive spark they needed in the rest of the set as the Tigers won the decisive set 15-11 to claim the match.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, Leonardo tallied her first double-double on the season, with 15 kills and 14 digs which are both new career highs. She also tallied four blocks on the day.
• Gaume added a new career high in digs today as she led the team with 24.
• Senior Caleigh Schroeder with new a season high in digs as she had 22 and also tallied 36 assists.
• Junior Buse Tinaz and freshman Cassandra Rohan were the leaders in blocks both with five.

THE OPPONENT

• Taylor Pagan, Ella Sanders and Sarah Callender all had double-doubles on the reaching double digit kills and digs.
• Maisie Jesse led the way for the Tigers with 25 assists.
• Malinah Purcell-Telefoni led with four blocks.

MATCH TWO: Lafayette 3, IONA 0

• SET 1: Sophomore Kari Smith made her imprint on the set early as she had a kill and a service ace in two of the first three points of the set to give the Maroon and Gold a one-point edge. Lafayette gained their first lead of the set following a attack error, then pulled away with a 13-6 run to go up by five. The 13-6 run was all the Leopards needed as they were able to hold on to take the the set 25-22.
• SET 2: The Leopards jumped out to an 8-3 lead to begin the set which forced the Gaels to call one of their two timeouts. The Gaels steadied play afterward but never found the spark needed to task the match as they.ultimately fell 25-17.
• SET 3: The Maroon & Gold came out firing with five unanswered points to begin the set which forced the Leopards to use their first timeout. Lafayette regrouped and responded with six straight points to reclaim the lead. The Gaels answered the six straight from the Leopards with a 6-2 run of their own to to go up by four. The Leopards took full control of the set with a dominant 14-1 run soon after. That run sealed the set, as the Gaels fell 25-16.

IONA PERFORMERS

• Smith led the way for the Gaels in points, kills. and digs. She tallies another double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
• Schroeder tallies 15 assists in the second match of the double header.
• Sophomore Jaylyn Simon had double digit assists (11) in the second match of the double header.

THE OPPONENT

• Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo led the Leopards' offense with 15 kills and 17.5 points.
• Mackenzie Calhoun led the team with 21 assists.
• Emily Gouldrup led the team with 18 digs.

NEXT MATCH

The Maroon and Gold return to action tomorrow to close out the 2025 Towson/Coppin State Invitational in a double header at Physical Education Complex. Their opponents they are set to face are Coppin State and Princeton. The finale is set to begin at 11 A.M.

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