ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2016) - Graduate right-side hitter Danielle Williams (Alba, Texas) and freshman outside hitter Shannon Wren (Lynbrook, N.Y.) both posted eight kills for the Molloy College volleyball team in a three-set loss to the Wildcats of Daemen College on Saturday (Sept. 24). Set scores from Quealy Gymnasium favored the visitors by a count of 25-19, 25-14 and 25-18.

Daemen (7-5, 1-0 ECC) started off strong with a 6-2 lead in the opening stanza as freshman libero Jess Kranz (Depew, N.Y.) served two aces for the visitors to grab the early advantage. Molloy (2-12, 0-1 ECC) got as close as 7-5 thanks to a setting error and a kill from freshman middle blocker Devon Hagerstrom (Bethpage, N.Y.), but the Wildcats ran off nine of the next eleven points to lead 16-7. The maroon and white attempted a comeback with Hailey Wehr (Wading River, N.Y.) recording a kill and Hagerstrom getting a point on a block to inch their side closer at 18-12 until Daemen pulled further away. While Molloy mounted one last charge with two aces from Hagerstrom getting the team within a 24-19 margin, ultimately it would prove to be too little and too late as the Wildcats notched the first set victory on an attacking error.

In the middle frame of the match, Daemen raced out to a 4-0 advantage by taking care of business on the attacking end. Senior Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y.) and red-shirt sophomore Courtney Scanlan (Ellicottville, N.Y.) started the set with kills to give the Wildcats the early lead; the theme of the second stanza would be a staggeringly successful attack from the visitors (14 kills and a .417 hitting percentage) while Molloy struggled to stay in the positive percentage points on swings. The Lions finished the second set by hitting 7-for-26 with nine attacking errors, a negative hitting percentage of -.077. Daemen added insult to injury by winning the last five points on kills by Drzymala and Meghan Ballou (Eden, N.Y.), a block from Christina Apostol (Bucharest, Romania) and a service ace out of the hands of Kailey Ballou (Eden, N.Y.).

Molloy held an early lead in the third set by scoring four of the first five points with junior libero Dakota O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) obtaining a service ace early in the frame. Freshman Tara Carlin (Kings Park, N.Y.) played well in the early goings of the third set, capturing her first kill to put the Lions ahead 9-6. But that would be the end of the good times for the maroon and white, as the Wildcats went on a run of seven consecutive points---four straight points alone on service aces by Bailey Dolegowski (Marilla, N.Y.). After Wren struck for back-to-back kills to bring Molloy back within two points at 14-12, Daemen propelled themselves to another run with five unanswered. A Ballou service ace and two Scanlan kills coupled with a block by Ashley Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y.) put the Wildcats ahead 19-12 and gave the visitors an insurmountable lead that was cemented on a match-winning block by Rachel Stephenson (Hamburg, N.Y.).

Freshman setter Sophia Smith (Georgetown, Texas) posted a 22-assist effort, pushing her total assist count for the season to just under 400. O'Neill posted a team-high seven digs for the Lions, as well. For the Wildcats, the quartet of Bernard, Scanlan and the Drzymala twins combined for 32 kills with Bernard posting an .800 hitting percentage (eight kills in ten attempts). Dolegowski collected 20 assists as freshman Sydney MacInnis (Superior, Colo.) dished out 13 helpers of her own. 

The Molloy College women's volleyball team will face off with Roberts Wesleyan College on Sunday (Sept. 25) at 12 p.m. in an ECC tilt at Quealy Gymnasium.