FLUSHING, N.Y. – Looking to end their homestand on a special Saturday afternoon in their annual Senior Day, the Queens College volleyball team defeated the Mercy College Mavericks 3-1 in East Coast Conference action inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
Led by sophomore
Christina Franco's (Lynbrook, N.Y.) eighth double-double of the year with 13 kills and 14 digs and freshman
Kendall Conrad's (Carrolltown, PA) team-high 16 kills, the Knights defeated the Mavericks 3-1
(Set Scores: 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23) to end the homestand with an overall record of 8-3 on the year as Queens improved to 5-3 in conference play.
For the first time since the 2017 season, the Knights defeated the Mavericks as they ended an eight-game losing streak and earned a series split.
Recap (Final Score 3-1 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23)
Both teams traded points early on before the visitors went on a 4-2 run to take a 10-8 lead.
A Mavericks service error would start an 8-1 run with Conrad notching multiple kills as Queens took a 16-11 lead. But the visitors would not go away quietly as they rallied back with a 6-2 run to cut the Knights' lead down to 18-17.
Franco would start a 4-0 run with two kills as Queens took a 22-17 lead. But Mercy would trim the lead down to two, 22-20 before the Mavericks attacking errors put the home side one point from clinching the first set with a 24-20 advantage.
Sophomore
Despina Boudouris (Athens, Greece) ensured the Knights would take the first set as she delivered a service ace giving Queens a 25-20 victory and a 1-0 lead.
The second would be another back-and-forth affair before the Knights trailing 6-5 went on a 6-0 run as junior
Anjeline Arnakis (Bayside, N.Y.) took matters into her hand delivering a block and two kills as Queens went up 11-6.
With Queens up 17-13, Mercy went on a 7-2 run as they took a 20-19 lead. Both sides would trade points before an attacking error gave the Mavericks the upper hand for a 24-23 lead. A kill by Mercy would tie the match 1-1 as the visitors took the second set with a 25-23 victory.
With the match tied 1-1, Arnakis and junior
Alexis Deodat (Tampa Bay, FL) led a blocking party in the middle as Queens began the third set with a 5-0 advantage
But the Mavericks would continue to trim the home side's lead before Queens went on a 6-3 run to take a six-point advantage for a 16-10 lead.
Conrad tallied three straight kills for the Knights as they took a 21-15 lead before Franco and Arnakis guaranteed Queens held a 2-1 match advantage with a 25-18 third set victory.
The fourth set would be another see-saw battle as each team tallied multiple runs. As Arnakis and Deodat combined for two kills giving Queens a 14-10 lead, a Mercy 8-3 run helped the visitors take a slim lead of 18-17.
Franco and Conrad combined for four kills before a block by Deodat put the Knights up 22-20.
But the Mavericks would not go away quietly as they went on a 3-1 run to tie the fourth set 23-23.
With the Knights looking to end the homestand on a high note and give the seniors a great sendoff at home, the rookie Conrad took it upon herself as she tallied her 16
th kill of the afternoon to put the Knights up 24-23, one point away from the clinching the match.
Senior
Leila Hadjeb (Queens, N.Y.) who was honored before the match began gave the Knights and their fans the ending they came to see as the Queens native delivered the killing blow with a service ace for a 25-23 fourth set and a 3-1 victory for their 11
th win of the season.
Match Highlights
- Franco tallied her eighth double-double of the year as the sophomore notched 13 kills and 14 digs. While rookie Conrad notched a match-high 16 kills (.351 hitting %) with three blocks on the afternoon.
- Arnakis and Deodat combined for 16 kills and 15 blocks with the Bayside native hitting a searing .438 % on 16 attempts.
- Freshman Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, FL) tallied six kills and four blocks on the day.
- Boudouris notched her eighth double-double of the year with a match-high 45 assists and 10 digs to go with one service ace.
- Freshman Ryann Frontera (Dripping Springs, TX) tallied 20 digs, three assists, and two service aces on the afternoon.
UP NEXT: Head coach
Stefan Leger and the Knights conclude the regular season on the road beginning with a trip to Rockville Centre, N.Y. on Tuesday (Nov. 1) evening as they match up against the Lions of Molloy University. The first serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's volleyball (qcknightsvb).
