EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (Sept. 10, 2016) - The Molloy College volleyball team earned a split and picked up its first victory of the 2016 season at the final day of the East Stroudsburg University Invitational at Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday (Sept. 10). The Lions were swept by West Liberty State (W.Va.) before ending the tournament with a three-set sweep of Nyack College to improve to 1-8 on the season.

West Liberty 3, Molloy 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-14)
Against a non-region foe, the Lions held their own for the first two sets until the Hilltoppers pulled away to improve to 8-2 on the season. For the third straight match, freshman Shannon Wren (Lynbrook, N.Y.) led the team with a double-digit kill performance. Wren's 12 kills came in 29 attempts for a team-best .207 hitting percentage; as a team, however, the Lions mustered just a .061 hitting clip. First-year outside hitter Francesca Castellano (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) had a solid match with six kills, ten digs and four block assists in the effort. Setter Sophia Smith (Georgetown, Texas) had 25 assists and nine digs while junior libero Dakota O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) led the way with 15 digs in the match. For West Liberty, sophomore Raimey Benson (Dublin, Ohio) notched a team-high 10 kills as the Hilltoppers posted a total of 11 team blocks (four solo and 14 assisted) to snuff out the maroon and white at the net.

Molloy 3, Nyack 0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-15)
The Lions' first win of the 2016 season came thanks to strong middle play from freshman Devon Hagerstrom (Bethpage, N.Y.), whose 11 kills came with an astounding .474 hitting percentage in the victory. Castellano and Wren combined for 12 kills and Molloy dominated the blocks in the win with two solo and 14 assisted rejections. O'Neill and Smith each had seven digs while Smith dished out 23 assists in the three-set sweep of the CACC representatives. 

Molloy will visit defending CACC champion Post University in Waterbury, Conn. on Thursday (Sept. 15) at 7 p.m. The Lions faced the Eagles earlier this year at the Long Island Invitational and were defeated in three sets by Post.