ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2016) - A second five-set marathon in a row overwhelmed the Molloy College volleyball team on Tuesday (Oct. 25) as the Lions fell in a maximum-game match to LIU Post at Quealy Gymnasium. The Pioneers improved to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in East Coast Conference play with the victory by scores of 16-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-23 and 15-12 over Molloy (4-21, 1-8 ECC).

For Molloy, freshman setter Sophia Smith (Georgetown, Texas) finished with a career-high 50 assists to go along with 19 digs and five kills in the defeat. Four Lions had double-digit kill totals, with right-side hitter Danielle Williams (Alba, Texas) posting a team-best 18 kills. The three-pronged attack of freshmen Devon Hagerstrom (Bethpage, N.Y.), Shannon Wren (Lynbrook, N.Y.) and Hailey Wehr (Wading River, N.Y.) culminated in 31 kills with Hagerstrom picking up 11 to Wehr's 10 and Wren's 10 as well. On the defensive side of the ball, junior libero Dakota O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) had a team-high 21 digs as Williams posted 11. Additionally, sophomore defensive specialist Meaghan Carr (Mineola, N.Y.) contributed 13 digs in a stellar back-row performance for the maroon and white.

LIU Post was led by the 20-kill night from junior Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) that was accompanied by strong games from both Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) and Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif.). Londot had 18 kills for the Pioneers to go along with 15 digs as McCullouch posted a 12-kill night on a .267 hitting percentage out of the middle and right-side attacking positions for the green and gold. Setter Giulia Genna (Rome, Italy) dished out 42 assists while back-row play was led by 19 digs from Navah Evans (Oakland, Calif.) and 17 digs from freshman libero Abby Eckhardt (Westminster, Colo.).

Molloy breezed to an easy first set win and held on to take the second set by a 25-22 score despite a hard-charging rally from LIU Post. The Lions led 17-10 off of a service ace from rookie Tara Carlin (Kings Park, N.Y.) but the visitors scored the next five points in succession to creep within two points at 17-15. Kills by Wren kept the Pioneers at bay for the moment, but successful hits from Londot brought LIU Post level at both 21-21 and 22-22. The hosts took the second stanza thanks to a kill from Hagerstrom, an attack error on LIU Post and a service ace from O'Neill. In the third set, a similar story unfolded with a much different ending. LIU Post trailed 11-10 before scoring 11 of the next 12 points to comfortably assert themselves in the lead. Londot ended the third frame with a kill to push the match to a fourth set where once again a major rally swung the momentum in favor of the Pioneers.

Up 8-5 in the fourth frame, the Lions watched as the opposition score six straight points as part of a 9-1 run to open up a 14-9 advantage. This time, however, it would be the hosts pulling back even in the dying moments of the game. Down 17-12, Molloy utilized two service aces from Carlin to punctuate a run back to within a point at 18-17; ultimately, this would lead to the two sides drawing even at 20-all. Londot and Valenza went back-to-back with kills on the next two points and Molloy failed to draw even with the visitors, setting up the fifth and final set. In the last frame, the two teams traded the opening eight points but LIU Post asserted itself to the lead. Londot had three kills as part of a 5-0 run to open up a 9-4 edge but Molloy was quick to retaliate. Down 11-5, the Lions found a way back into the match with four straight points but it would not be enough. Genna and McCullouch combined on the final block to end the match and send Molloy to a heart-breaking defeat.

The Lions are back in action on Thursday (Oct. 27) at 6 p.m. when the team hosts Mercy College at Quealy Gymnasium.