COLCHESTER, VT. -- The Assumption University volleyball team dropped their first two matches of the year, as they fell to Felician University 3-0, before suffering a 3-1 loss to Saint Michael's College Saturday afternoon at the Ross Sports Center on the campus of Saint Michael's College.
THE BASICS
Score: Felician University 3, Assumption 0 | Saint Michael's College 3, Assumption 1
Records: Greyhounds (0-2, 0-0 NE10) | Golden Falcons (2-1, 0-0 CACC) | Purple Knights (1-2, 0-0 NE10)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Felician University 3, Assumption University 0
Assumption battled back from an early deficit in the opening set, using kills from Lilyanna Petrocelli and a
Thalia Urso service ace to tie the frame at 6-6. Later,
Grace Presswood sparked a 5-0 Greyhound run with a kill and service ace, while
Cate Wettstone added back-to-back kills to even the score at 19-19 before Felician pulled away for a 25-20 win.
In the second,
Brooke Bowbliss helped fuel an Assumption rally with a pair of kills, while
Christine Mbachi and
Lila Handrahan each recorded service aces as the Greyhounds trimmed the deficit to three at 20-17. Felician responded to take the set, 25-19.
Kendall Larkin paced the Greyhounds early in the third with three kills as Assumption played to a 4-4 tie. Presswood later helped spark another Greyhound run with a pair of kills and a service ace, but Felician held off Assumption to close out the match, 25-17.
Saint Michael's College 3, Assumption University 1
Assumption erased an early 4-0 deficit in the opening set, as kills from
Christine Mbachi,
Kendall Larkin and
Kaitlyn Montgomery helped the Greyhounds pull even at 10-10.
Makenna Glenn followed with a service ace before
Brennah Abilheira-Cargill served consecutive aces during a 5-0 run that gave Assumption an 18-12 advantage. Lilyanna Petrocelli finished off the 25-21 opening-set win with her fourth kill of the frame.
The Greyhounds remained within striking distance throughout the second set and used a late surge to turn a 21-17 deficit into a 22-21 lead. Glenn highlighted the 5-0 run with back-to-back service aces, but Saint Michael's responded with the final four points to take the set, 25-22.
Assumption fell behind early in the third before Glenn's consecutive aces helped cut the deficit to 11-9. The Greyhounds later pulled within one at 19-18 behind kills from
Brooke Bowbliss and
Cate Wettstone, but the Purple Knights closed the set on a 6-1 run for a 25-19 win.
In the fourth, Mbachi's service ace gave Assumption an early 4-3 edge. The Greyhounds continued to battle behind kills from Montgomery, Mbachi, Larkin and Wettstone, with another Glenn ace pulling Assumption within three at 21-18, before Saint Michael's secured the match with a 25-19 decision.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kendall Larkin led Assumption with 18 kills, with Lily Petrocelli (15) and Kaitlyn Montgomery (12) also recording double-digit kills.
- Brooke Bowbliss tallied 46 assists between the two matches, including a career-high 27 against Saint Michael's College.
- Defensively, Lila Handrahan had 16 digs, while sophomore Makenna Glenn had 12.
- Cate Wettstone led the block party with five assisted rejections, while Christine Mbachi had four. As a team, the Greyhounds had 10.0 rejections, with Petrocelli having the only solo block.
- Between the two matches, Assumption had six aces, led by Glenn with six. Handrahan added four and Mbachi added three.
- Assumption still leads the all-time series, 7-2 over Felician. Saint Michael's maintains a 30-15 advantage in the all-time series over the Greyhounds.
UP NEXT
- Assumption vs. Dominican University, Sunday, August 30, 12:00 pm.
- Felician vs. West Chester University, Tuesday, September 1, 6:00 pm.
- Saint Michael's vs. Bemidji State, Friday, September 4, 12:00 pm.
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