Volleyball Falls on the Road at Intrastate Foe Mitchell, 3-1, Tuesday Night

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) road match at intrastate foe Mitchell College (MC), 3-1, Tuesday night inside the Yarnall Athletic Center in New London, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays dropped to 2-18 overall and 2-8 in the conference, while the Mariners moved to 8-14 overall and 4-7 in the conference.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays broke open an early lead in the first set, establishing a 7-3 edge as a sophomore outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.) service aces was followed by back-to-back MC attack errors.
• The Mariners would gain the lead, 9-8, but a 9-0 USJ scoring run, featuring three service aces by senior outside hitter Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.) and a pair of kills from freshman outside hitter Lorynes Suriel (Lynn, Mass.) swung the advantage back to the Blue Jays, 17-9.
• The hosts would close the gap to five, 23-18, but winners from Harris and Heaney sealed the opening set for the Blue Jays, 25-19.
• USJ would quickly take a 5-3 edge in the second set after a kill by Suriel, but the hosts would gain the lead themselves, 8-7.
• The Blue Jays would fire back, utilizing am 8-2 stretch, capped off by an ace from freshman setter Gabi Wanner (Southington, Conn.) and a kill by Heaney, to break open a 15-10 lead.
• MC would not go away though, utilizing a 6-1 stretch of its own to take the lead, 19-18.
• The lead would not last long, as a winner from Wanner saw the Blue Jays retake the edge, 21-19 and force a Mariners timeout.
• However, the hosts would bounce back to win the second set, 27-25.
• MC carried the momentum into set three, establishing a 14-8 lead.
• USJ would close the gap to three, 15-12, after a Harris winner, but the Mariners would control the remainder of the set, winning 25-15 to hold a 2-1 edge in the match.
• The hosts would again break open a big lead to start the fourth set, rushing out to a 14-4 lead.
• USJ would close the gap to four, 18-14, after a pair of MC errors, but the Mariners closed the set on a 7-0 run, winning the set, 25-14, and the match, 3-1.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Harris and Heaney paced the team with 16 kills each.
• Heaney also paced the team with three service aces.
• Wanner dished out a match-high 35 assists.
• The tally is the second time she has tallied 30 or more assists this season.
• Senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) recorded a match-best 34 digs.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return home for a GNAC tri-match on Saturday, November 2 against Johnson & Wales University and Simmons University inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium. USJ will first face the Wildcats at 11:00 a.m. before rounding out the day against the Sharks at 3:00 p.m.

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