AMHERST N.Y. – For the first time since the 2008 season, the Queens College women's volleyball team returned to postseason play as third-year head coach Stefan Leger and his Knights earned the #2 seed in the East Coast Conference Volleyball Tournament. 
 
In a team that consisted of  13 underclassmen and four upperclassmen, the Knights finished the regular season and conference play with their best record of 12-12 overall and 6-4 in ECC play since the 2008 season. 
 
"I'm so proud of this team. Coming into the preseason, I knew that 10 new pieces had to fit into this jigsaw puzzle of a team. I projected improvement from the previous year due to the great level of talent we had coming in to bolster the lineup but these amazing young ladies impressed from day 1. The improvement from the first day to this final match was night and day." Stated Leger. "We started slowly but as the lineup and system fell into place, the group gelled more and more taking their game to a whole new level. Day by day I watched in delight as the players demonstrated the drive, desire, technical ability, poise under pressure, mental strength, and togetherness that every coach dreams about. The results started to fall in our favor more often than not and the group grew tighter, performed better, and excited the school and the community."
 
Earning the #2 seed, the Knights matched up against the #3 seed the Lions of Molloy University in game 2 of the ECC semifinals who were making their fifth straight ECC postseason tournament. Playing their first postseason game together as a unit, rookie Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA) led the offense with a team-high 11 kills, while sophomore Despina Boudouris (Athens, Greece) recorded her 11^th double-double of the season with 32 assists and 14 digs to lead the way.
 
After having taken a 1-0 match lead, the Knights' nerves and inexperienced would possibly sneak in as they fell 3-1 (Set Scores: 25-22, 13-25, 14-25, 18-25) to see their 2022 season come to a close. 
 
Recap (Final Score 1-3 25-22, 13-25, 14-25, 18-25)
Queens began the first set with back-to-back kills taking a 2-0 lead before both sides started exchanging points. 
 
With the first set tied 10-10, freshman Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, FL) and Conrad combined for a 6-0 run as Queens took a 16-10 advantage before the Lions attempted a comeback. 
 
Four errors would allow the Lions to stay within striking distance before two attacking errors by the Lions gave the Knights a five-point edge of 20-15. 
 
But a 5-1 run by Molloy would see Queens' score cut down to 21-22 before Queens put on a 3-1 run putting them one point away from clinching the first set. 
 
An attacking error would bring the Lions within two, 24-22 before junior Alexis Deodat (Tampa Bay, FL) sealed the first set win with a kill into the middle for a 25-22 victory.
 
With the Knights up 1-0 heading into the second set, the Knights traded the first four points but with the set tied 2-2, four errors by the Knights would put them in a 9-2 hole, a disadvantage they were unable to recover from. 
 
Queens would commit seven attacking errors as they hit -.03 to fall 25-13 as Molloy tied the match 1-1. 
 
The Lions would take their second set momentum into the third as they took a 4-1 lead before freshman Deirdre McCarthy (Lynbrook, N.Y.) and Conrad brought Queens within one, 5-4. 
 
But a 14-1 run by Molloy would give them a 2-1 match lead as the Knights' offensive struggles continued. 
 
Trialing 2-1 and needing a fourth set to force their seventh winner takes all of the season, sophomore Alicia Cervera Sospedra (Valencia, Spain) and Conrad tallied multiple kills as they took a slim lead of 5-4. 
 
The Knights would continue to keep a one-point lead as they led 10-9 before back-to-back errors gave Molloy an 11-10 edge. 
 
Queens would tie the fourth set 12-12 but playing against an experienced side who was making their fifth straight ECC postseason appearance, the Knights saw their season come to a close as they dropped the fourth set 25-18 and the match 3-1. 
 
Match Highlights

• Conrad led the Knights with a team-high 11 kills and three blocks.
• While sophomore Christina Franco (Lynbrook, N.Y.) recorded eight kills and 10 digs.
• Boudouris notched her 11^th double-double of the season with 32 assists and 14 digs.
• While freshman Ryann Frontera (Dripping Springs, TX) recorded a team-high 25 digs to go with four assists on the evening. 

Despite the loss, Leger was still proud of his team in what can be stated as a successful season in his third season in charge of the Knights. Leger added, "I'm honored to have had the chance to fight and grind with these women who only have more successes coming their way both on and off the court."
 
It was a season which vast improvements on both ends of the nets as the Knights improved their win total to 12 and the first .500 regular season since 2008. In his first two seasons, the Knights combined for six wins. This season the wins column would jump to 12 and their first winning season in conference play has paved the way for next season as the young Knights squad showed they are a program on a rise and the best is on the way.
 

---

Follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), Twitter (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's volleyball (qcknightsvb).  Read Full Article