FLUSHING, N.Y. – Continuing their push for an East Coast Conference postseason berth, the Queens College women's volleyball team welcomed the D'Youville Saints to Fitzgerald Gymnasium on Saturday morning.
In an all-around effort, the Knights combined for 12 service aces and 12 blocks, with senior outside hitter
Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA) leading the offense with a match-high 18 kills to help Queens earn a thrilling 3-1 victory over D'Youville.
With the win, the Knights improve to 9-15 overall and 2-6 in ECC play, earning a series split with the Saints.
MATCH RECAP: Queens 3, D'Youville 1 (Set Scores: 25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20)
The Saints opened the match with an early lead, going up 15-8 before a kill from Conrad sparked an 8-2 run, bringing the Knights within one at 17-16.
Conrad and senior outside hitter
Elizabeth Cerullo (Saint James, N.Y.) combined for four kills during the rally, while rookie outside hitter
Alex Fernandez (Mineola, N.Y.) and sophomore libero
Asuka Shibue (Tochigi, Japan) each added service aces.
As the Saints went ahead 18-16, a rare kill from Shibue and a service ace from rookie setter
Kylynn White (Chicago, IL) helped Queens tie the set at 18-18. When D'Youville regained a 19-18 lead, Queens responded with a 7-1 run, powered by Conrad, sophomore defensive specialist
Olivia Hyman (Forest Hills, N.Y.), and senior middle blocker
Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, Fla). Senior middle blocker
Maya Angelova (Kyustendil, Bulgaria) delivered a clutch play to close out the first set, 25-20.
The Saints jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Queens rallied with a 9-2 run, fueled by Osterhoudt and Angelova, to take a 9-5 advantage. After trading points and a D'Youville 7-1 run that gave them a 16-13 lead, Queens responded with a 4-1 run to tie the set 17-17. Both teams traded points late, but D'Youville edged out the set 25-23, evening the match at 1-1.
In the third set, the Saints again tried to control early, leading 9-5, but Queens battled back with a 5-1 run, tying it at 10-10. D'Youville then surged ahead 18-13, putting Queens in danger of dropping consecutive sets.
A 4-0 run by Cerullo, White, and Osterhoudt closed the gap to 18-17, and Queens took the lead 22-20 after three straight kills and a service ace. Trading points to 24-22, a kill from Conrad sealed the third set, 25-22, giving Queens a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set saw the Saints take an early 9-7 lead, but a combination of D'Youville errors and kills from Fernandez and Cerullo put Queens ahead 13-9.
After a Saints run to 16-15, a kill from Conrad sparked a 3-0 run, extending the lead to 19-15. D'Youville narrowed it to 19-18, but Conrad and White combined for four kills in a 5-1 run, bringing Queens to match point, 24-19.
After a Saints point, Angelova delivered a clutch final play, securing a thrilling 25-20 fourth set victory and a crucial 3-1 match win to keep Queens' postseason hopes alive.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Conrad paced the offense with a season-best 18 kills to go with three digs and two blocks.
- Cerullo tallied a season-best eight kills to go with four digs and one block.
- Osterhoudt recorded seven kills, four blocks, three service aces, and one assist.
- White recorded seven kills, a career-best 32 assists, seven digs, three service aces, and two blocks.
- Fernandez tallied a career-best five kills, 10 digs, and one assist.
- Angelova tallied six blocks, two digs, and two kills.
- Shibue tallied a team-high 17 digs, two assists, and one service ace.
- Hyman tallied 10 digs and a match-tying four service aces.
Next Match
Queens closes their homestand on Sunday, November 2, when they welcome the Daemen University Wildcats to Fitzgerald Gymnasium in ECC play. First serve is set 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).
