SPARKILL, N.Y. – Hitting the road for an East Coast Conference clash on Sunday afternoon, the Queens College women's volleyball team faced off against the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans inside Aquinas Hall.
In a tightly contested match that went the full five sets, the Knights dug deep to secure their first ECC victory of the season. Rookie setter
Kylynn White (Chicago, IL) led the way with her seventh career double-double, tallying a team-high 16 kills and 16 assists. Senior middle blocker
Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, Fla) added 10 kills and contributed defensively with two blocks, while fellow senior middle blocker
Maya Angelova (Kyustendil, Bulgaria) posted a match-high nine kills along with three blocks to help seal the win.
Match Recap: Queens: 3, STAC 2 (Set Scores: 25-21, 25-15, 17-25, 19-25, 15-11)
It was a sluggish start for the Knights, who quickly fell behind 10-2 in the opening set, prompting an early timeout.
However, the duo of senior outside hitter
Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA) and White sparked a response, combining for four kills as Queens rallied with a 12-4 run to tie the set at 14-14, forcing a Spartans timeout.
The break did little to slow the Knights' momentum. Queens responded with three blocks, and Osterhoudt added two service aces during an 8-1 surge to take a 22-16 lead. STAC mounted a late push with a 5-2 run to get within three at 24-21, but White's fourth kill of the set sealed a 25-21 comeback win, giving Queens a 1-0 match lead.
The second set was tightly contested early on, with the Knights maintaining a narrow edge. Up 9-7, Queens extended the lead with a balanced attack, as White, Osterhoudt, and Angelova combined for three kills and a block to build a 16-10 advantage.
Leading 19-13, a kill from senior outside hitter
Elizabeth Cerullo (Saint James, N.Y.) fueled a 6-2 closing run, and the Knights took the set 25-15 to go up 2-0 in the match.
In the third set, the Knights fell behind 7-3. Two kills and a block from Angelova and , along with a service ace from sophomore libero
Asuka Shibue (Tochigi, Japan) , helped tie the score at 8-8. But STAC responded with a 6-2 run and never relinquished control, taking the third set 25-17 to cut the Knights' lead to 2-1.
Set four saw seven ties and two lead changes. The Spartans opened up 4-1 before senior setter
Jayna Marie Lorenzo (Rodeo, CA) and Angelova delivered back-to-back kills to even the score at 4-4. White followed with two kills and an ace to put the Knights ahead 11-7, but momentum shifted quickly as STAC went on a 15-5 run to take a 22-16 lead. The Spartans closed out the set 25-19, evening the match at two sets apiece.
In their second five-set match of ECC play, the Knights came out strong in the decider. Osterhoudt and Conrad combined for three quick kills to open a 4-2 lead. After the Spartans tied the set at 5-5, a service error gave Queens the edge, and sophomore outside hitter
Sophie Schonauer (Bakersfield, CA) delivered a clutch service ace to spark a 5-0 run, making it 10-5.
STAC attempted a final push with a 3-0 spurt to close the gap to 10-8, but strong defensive play from the Knights helped close out the match with a 15-11 fifth-set win, securing a 3-2 victory and their first ECC win of the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- White led the charge with her seventh career double-double, posting a team-high 16 kills and 16 assists, while also adding nine digs, four blocks, and one service ace in a standout all-around performance.
- Osterhoudt contributed 10 kills, two blocks, two service aces, and two digs, playing a pivotal role on both sides of the net.
- Conrad recorded nine kills, and three digs.
- Angelova matched a season-best nine blocks to go with three kills.
- Cerullo recorded four kills and two digs.
- Marie Lorenzo tallied 15 assists, four digs, three blocks and two kills.
- Shibue set a career-high with 22 digs, while adding six assists and two service aces, leading the Knights' defensive efforts.
- Schonauer tallied 13 digs and one service aces.
- Sophomore defensive specialist Olivia Hyman (Forest Hills, N.Y.) recorded eight digs, two service aces and one assist.
Next Match
The Knights will kick off a four-match homestand on Tuesday, October 21, as they host the Molloy University Lions in East Coast Conference action at Fitzgerald Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled 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), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's volleyball (qcknightsvb).
