CALDWELL, N.J. – Continuing their stretch of road games away from Fitzgerald Gymnasium, the Queens College women's volleyball team traveled to Caldwell, New Jersey, on Tuesday evening for a non-conference matchup against the Caldwell University Cougars at the Newman Center.
In a 3-1 victory over the Cougars, the Knights' offense was paced by the trio of senior outside hitter
Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA), rookie setter
Kylynn White (Chicago, IL), and senior middle blocker
Maya Angelova (Kyustendil, Bulgaria), who combined for 28 kills and five blocks.
Match Recap – Queens 3, Caldwell 1 (Set Scores: 25-16, 25-20, 23-25, 25-12)
Queens jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, fueled by four kills, two blocks, and a service ace. However, the Cougars responded with a 5-2 run to close the gap to 10-9. A service error halted Caldwell's momentum, and senior middle blocker
Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, Fla) took over from the service line, delivering three consecutive aces to help the Knights extend their lead to a commanding 15-9.
Back-to-back blocks from Caldwell brought them within four at 15-11, but a kill by White started a 10-5 run that propelled the Knights to a 25-16 first set victory and an early 1-0 lead in the match.
In the second set, the Cougars jumped ahead 7-5 before back-to-back kills from Conrad leveled the score at 7-7. However, four consecutive errors by the Knights allowed Caldwell to regain control with an 11-7 lead, forcing a Queens timeout.
The timeout proved effective for Queens, sparking a 7-2 run that gave them a 14-13 lead. Caldwell responded with a 4-1 run to reclaim a 17-15 advantage, but with rookie setter at the service line, the Knights surged once again. White delivered a kill and followed it up with three service aces during a momentum-shifting 6-0 run that put Queens ahead, 21-17.
Although Caldwell answered with a 3-0 run to pull within one at 21-20, three straight Cougar errors handed the Knights set point, and a kill from Angelova closed out the second set, 25-20, giving Queens a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, Caldwell maintained an early lead, holding a three-point advantage over the Knights. Trailing 13-10, a kill from freshman outside hitter
Alex Fernandez (Mineola, N.Y.) sparked a 7-1 run that gave Queens a 17-14 edge. However, the Cougars refused to back down, responding with a 7-1 run of their own to reclaim a 21-18 lead. Despite the Knights' efforts to complete a three-set sweep, Caldwell held on to take the third set with a narrow 25-23 win, forcing a fourth set.
Both sides traded points early in the fourth set, knotting the score at 4-4, before a kill from senior outside hitter
Elena Leung (Bellerose, N.Y.) sparked a 5-0 run for Queens. Leung and senior setter
Jayna Marie Lorenzo (Rodeo, CA) combined for three kills during the stretch, giving the Knights a 9-4 lead.
As Caldwell fought to stay within striking distance, Angelova and Conrad combined for three kills, while Osterhoudt and Fernandez teamed up for back-to-back blocks. Their combined play gave Queens a commanding 15-8 lead, one they never relinquished as the Knights closed out the match with a decisive 25-12 victory in the fourth set, sealing a 3-1 win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Conrad led the Knights with a team-high 10 kills to go with two blocks and two digs.
- It was an all-around effort from White, as the rookie nearly recorded her second career triple-double, notching nine kills, 18 assists, eight digs, one block, and tied a career-best with six service aces.
- Angelova recorded nine kills, including five in the fourth set, along with two blocks.
- Conrad recorded nine kills and two blocks.
- Leung tallied six kills and two digs.
- Marie Lorenzo tallied a team-high 20 assists, four kills, one dig, and three blocks.
- Osterhoudt tallied three kills, three blocks, and tied a career-high with four service aces.
- The duo of sophomore defensive specialist Olivia Hyman (Forest Hills, N.Y.) and senior libero Alexis Stoehrer (Medford, N.Y.) combined for 25 digs and four service aces.
Next Match
Continuing the road stand, the Knights head to East Stroudsburg, PA, on Friday, September 19, to compete in the ESU Volleyball Tournament. Queens opens the tournament matching up against the Lions of Georgian Court University. First serve is set for 5 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).
