FLUSHING, N.Y. – Opening their season inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium, the Queens College women's volleyball team hosted the Post University Eagles and the Assumption University Greyhounds on day one of the Aline Pascale Lubin Invitational on Friday.
Queens dropped their season opener to the Eagles by the score of 3-1
(Set Scores: 25-20, 23-25, 12-25, 25-27), before the Knights rallied in the nightcap against the Greyhounds. After taking the first set, Assumption would take a 2-1 match lead before Queens answered back by forcing the fifth set. Trialing 3-1 in the fifth set, the Knights rallied on two separate occasions to ensure they would earn a day one split with a 3-2
(Set Scores: 25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11) comeback victory.
Match One Recap vs. Post University
Rookie setter
Kylynn White (Chicago, IL) began her Knights career in spectacular fashion, delivering two service aces and assisting on a kill by senior outside hitter
Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA) to give the Knights a 3-0 lead. Conrad recorded her second kill of the set off a pass from senior libero
Alexis Stoehrer (Medford, N.Y.) to go up 4-0.
The Eagles answered back with a 3-1 run to get within two, 5-3, before a kill from sophomore outside hitter
Sophie Schonauer (Bakersfield, CA) started another 4-0 run as Queens extended their lead to 9-3.
With the Knights leading 14-7, the Eagles would score four straight points to cut the advantage down to 14-11 before White helped the home side regain a lead of six, 18-12. Just as the Eagles cut their deficit down to two, 18-16, Schonauer would help Queens complete the first set on a 7-4 run to take a 1-0 lead with a 25-20 first set victory.
The second set would be a sluggish one for the home side as they found themselves trailing 10-3 before the Knights took advantage of the Eagles' errors to go on a 12-5 run to tie the second set at 15-15.
Both sides would continue to answer each other point for point, but with the set tied at 22-22, Post would tie the match 1-1 using a 3-1 run to earn a 25-23 second set victory.
With the Eagles hitting .474 in the third set, the Knights would soon find themselves down 2-1 in the match as they dropped the set to the score of 25-12.
Behind two kills from senior outside hitter
Elena Leung (Bellerose, N.Y.), the Knights opened the fourth set with a 4-2 lead. With Queens leading 13-12, the Eagles put together an 8-1 run to take a 20-14 lead. But the Knights would not go down without a fight as Conrad tallied four kills in a 9-3 run to tie the set at 23-23.
As Queens looked to force a decisive fifth set, the two teams traded the next four points. However, it ended in heartbreak for the Knights, as the Eagles claimed the final two points to take the fourth set, 27-25, and secure the match with a 3-1 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Conrad led the Knights' offense with 14 kills on a .419 hitting %, two digs, and two blocks.
- In an impressive debut for White, the rookie recorded nine kills on a .304 hitting % with a team-high 22 assists, four service aces, five digs, and one block.
- Schonauer recorded nine kills, a career-best 22 digs, one service ace, and one assist.
- Leung tallied a career-best seven kills, to go with three digs and one block.
- Stoehrer recorded 19 digs, four assists, and two service aces.
Match Two Recap vs. Assumption University
Looking to bounce in the nightcap, the Knights found themselves trailing 6-1 against the Greyhounds, forcing an early timeout. Queens would break the momentum as senior middle blocker
Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, Fla.) recorded a quick kill.
The Knights would slowly start their comeback rally as four different players tallied a kill to get within two, 12-10. Trailing 16-15, Queens would take advantage of Greyhounds' errors as they went on an 8-2 run to take a 23-18 lead before a kill from Osterhoudt and a Greyhound service error helped the Knights take a 1-0 match lead with a 25-20 first set victory.
The second and third sets featured a combined 14 ties and nine lead changes, but it was the visitors who pulled ahead, taking the second set 25-22 and the third set 25-20 to claim a 2-1 lead in the match.
Looking to avoid dropping their first two matches of the season, Queens regrouped in the fourth set, outhitting the Greyhounds .360 to .200 with an efficient offensive performance that included 11 kills on just two errors.
The Knights took an early 5-1 lead as senior middle blocker
Maya Angelova (Kyustendil, Bulgaria), White, and Conrad combined for three kills. Assumption closed the gap to just one point at 12-11 before a kill from Conrad sparked a 13-5 run for Queens. The Knights secured a convincing 25-16 fourth set victory to force a decisive fifth set.
Assumption opened the decisive fifth set with a 3-1 lead before Conrad and Osterhoudt combined for three kills to put the Knights ahead 6-4. However, the visitors responded with a 5-1 run of their own to take an 8-7 lead as the teams switched sides for the final time.
The short break would help the Knights swing the momentum as sophomore defensive specialist
Olivia Hyman (Forest Hills, N.Y.) sparked a 6-1 run. Angelova made her presence felt at the net, powering through with two kills and two crucial blocks to help Queens surge ahead with a commanding 13-9 lead.
Just as the Greyhounds rallied with back-to-back points to close the gap to 13-11, a crucial kill from senior outside hitter
Elizabeth Cerullo (Saint James, N.Y.) would put the Knights at match point. Back to the service line, Schonauer sealed the comeback with a service ace, securing a 15-11 fifth set victory and the Knights' first win of the season with a 3-2 final score.
BY THE NUMBERS
- It would be a balanced scoring match for the Knights as three players recorded 11 kills, led by Osterhoudt notching 11 kills and three blocks. Conrad recorded 11 kills, five digs, and two blocks.
- Angelova recorded a career-best 11 kills on a .346 hitting % to go with a team-high four blocks.
- White matched a career effort with nine kills, four service aces, 17 assists, three blocks, and five digs.
- Schonauer recorded three kills, two service aces, and registered a career-best 22 digs.
- Cerullo recorded three kills, five digs, and one assist.
- Stoehrer notched a career-best 23 digs to go with nine assists and two service aces.
- Senior setter Jayna Marie Lorenzo (Rodeo, CA) recorded a career-best 21 assists to go with six digs in the victory.
Next Match
The Knights will conclude the Aline Pascale Lubin Invitational on Saturday, September 6, welcoming the Lynn University Fighting Knights and Wilmington University Wildcats to Fitzgerald Gymnasium. First serve is set for 10 a.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).
