FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing their homestand on Thursday evening, the Queens College women's volleyball team hosted the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights at Fitzgerald Gymnasium in non-conference action.
After dropping the opening set, the Knights rallied behind a career-best performance from sophomore libero
Asuka Shibue (Tochigi, Japan), who tallied six service aces. Senior outside hitter
Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA) led the offensive charge with a team-high 16 kills, as Queens battled back to secure a thrilling 3-1 victory over Bridgeport.
With the victory, the Knights snapped a five-match skid, earning their seventh win of the season. Thursday's triumph also marked Queens' first home victory over Bridgeport since the 2016 season, when the Knights secured a 3-0 sweep.
MATCH RECAP: Queens 3, Bridgeport 1 (Set Scores: 17-25, 25-12, 25-20, 28-26)
The Knights opened the match with a quick 6-4 lead before the visitors responded with an 11-3 run, surging ahead 15-7.
Queens attempted a late rally in the first set, going on a 7-4 run to cut the deficit to 19-14, but Bridgeport held strong to claim the set, 25-17, and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Knights wasted little time responding. Sparked by the efforts of Conrad and senior setter
Jayna Marie Lorenzo (Rodeo, CA), who combined for three kills and four blocks, Queens jumped out to a commanding 10-2 lead, forcing an early Bridgeport timeout.
The break did little to slow the Knights' momentum, as the trio of Conrad, rookie setter
Kylynn White (Chicago, IL), and senior middle blocker
Maya Angelova (Kyustendil, Bulgaria) fueled an 8-1 run, extending the lead to 15-3.
Queens never looked back, with the offense tallying 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Conrad, senior middle blocker
Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, Fla), and White combined for 12 kills as the Knights dominated the second set, 25-12, to tie the match at 1-1.
With the match even, Queens opened the third set with a 3-1 advantage, aided by service aces from sophomore defensive specialist
Olivia Hyman (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and Osterhoudt.
However, Bridgeport responded with a 7-2 run to take an 8-5 lead. A service error by the Purple Knights put Shibue on the line, and the sophomore libero took over, firing six service aces, including five in a row, to lead a 9-0 surge that put Queens ahead 14-8.
Bridgeport answered with a 5-0 run to close the gap to 14-13, but Queens responded with four straight points to extend their lead to 18-13, forcing the visitors to burn their final timeout.
Both teams traded points down the stretch, but Osterhoudt tallied two crucial kills to push the Knights ahead 21-15.
After Bridgeport cut the deficit to 21-18, a timely double block from Angelova and Conrad helped Queens maintain momentum. White then delivered back-to-back kills to secure the third set, 25-20, and give the Knights a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle featuring 10 ties and six lead changes. Queens opened with a 4-2 lead before Bridgeport went on a 4-0 run to go up 6-4.
Five errors from the visitors and a kill from Angelova allowed Queens to regain a 10-7 lead, but Bridgeport, fighting to stay alive, answered with a 7-1 run to pull ahead 14-11.
Led by Osterhoudt and White, the Knights kept within striking distance, never trailing by more than three.
Trailing 20-16, a kill from Conrad sparked a crucial 4-0 run, with a service ace from sophomore outside hitter
Sophie Schonauer (Bakersfield, CA) tying the set at 20-all.
The teams traded the next five points before back-to-back Bridgeport errors gave Queens match point at 24-23. The visitors responded with a 2-0 run to take a 25-24 lead, but a clutch kill from Conrad tied it again at 25-25.
After Bridgeport edged ahead 26-25, Angelova and Conrad stepped up once more. The senior duo combined for three late kills with Conrad slamming back-to-back points to clinch the fourth set 28-26 and the match, 3-1.
The victory snapped a five-match losing streak and secured Queens' seventh win of the season and their first home victory over Bridgeport since 2016.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Conrad led the Knights' offense, tying her season high with 16 kills on a .371 hitting percentage, while adding three blocks and two digs.
- White recorded her third career triple-double, finishing with 10 kills, 13 assists, 11 digs, and one service ace.
- Osterhoudt contributed nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, along with five digs, three blocks, and three service aces.
- Angelova added three kills, five blocks, one dig, and one assist.
- Marie Lorenzo tallied a team-high 17 assists, with five digs and three blocks.
- Shibue delivered a career-best six service aces while recording 12 digs and two assists.
- Hyman anchored the defense with 11 digs and one service ace.
Next Match
The Knights continue their homestand on Sunday, October 12, as they return to East Coast Conference play, welcoming the Redhawks of Roberts Wesleyan University to Fitzgerald Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for noon.
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).
