Flushing, N.Y. - The  Queens College volleyball team has already tripled its win total from a season ago and any team that is trying to get better needs to go through the game that QC played on Thursday in the auxiliary gym in Flushing, a five-set loss to Bridgeport, 3-2.  In that loss, those in attendance got a glimpse of how far the Knights have come, as they pushed the Purple Knights, who sit at the top of the East Coast Conference standings, to five sets and played several long rallies in the match.

The Knights opened up by matching the Bridgeport intensity as both sides traded points in the first set to get the score even at 17-17.  From there, the Purple Knights used a 5-2 run to build a small cushion that would prove to be the difference in the set.  The final point went to Bridgeport on a Frida Randen service ace.

The second set saw QC fight back and level the match at 1-1.  The set was tied at four different occasions, the final one saw the score even at 11-11.  From there, an Else Buchmiller kill and a Bridgeport error on a Xhesi Domi serve put the Knights ahead 13-11.  Later in the set, QC pushed the lead to five points, at 20-15, from a pair of kills from MacKenzie Hamilton and a service ace from Francesca Indoni.  The five point cushion would be the difference in the set as an Arielle DiCocco serve set up an Indoni kill that gave the second set to Queens, 25-20.

Set three went to Bridgeport, 25-11.  The Purple Knights methodically built a lead as they lead 4-2, then 9-4, then 14-7 and finally, 17-8.  They closed out the set with an 8-3 run.

With their backs to the wall and their opponents needing to take the set to win the match, Queens responded by taking the fourth set by a commanding, 25-12 score.  QC jumped out to a 5-1 lead and eventually built a 10-point advantage, 20-10, when a Ceren Kilic serve was misplayed by Ying Shen.  The fourth set went to Queens as Bowser used  a pair of kills to finish the set.

The fifth set went to Bridgeport, 15-6 and the Knights lost a hard fought match in five sets.  They are now 9-9 on the season.

In the match, Bowser finished with 13 kills and a percentage of .571.  MacKenzie Hamilton also had 12 kills.  Ceren Kilic posted another double-double with 40 assists and 13 digs.

The Queens College volleyball team returns to action on Tuesday, October 29, when they face Molloy in Rockville Centre, New York.  The opening serve is set for 6:00 PM.