ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Sept. 2, 2017) – The Molloy volleyball team ended the opening weekend splitting a tri-match. The Lions fell in a grueling five set bout with Le Moyne before defeating Nyack College 3-1.
Game One: Le Moyne 3, Molloy 2
Set One: Molloy 31, Le Moyne 29
Set Two: Le Moyne 25, Molloy 20
Set Three: Molloy 25, Le Moyne 23
Set Four: Le Moyne 25, Molloy 17
Set Five: Le Moyne 15, Molloy 13

Le Moyne and Molloy battled back and forth for the opening points of the first set before the Lions took nine of 13 points to take a 11-6 lead. The Dolphins responded with a 7-2 run of their own to knot the score at 13-13. The teams continued to exchange blows, sending the set past 25 points until Molloy tallied three straight kills to earn a 31-29 victory to take the first set.

The next set mirrored the first, with neither team able to pull ahead. Midway through, Le Moyne strung together a streak of kills to take a 17-11 lead. Molloy, however, refused to back down and battled to come back 24-20. Paige Wallace (Cedar Park, Texas) ended the set in favor of the Dolphins with a kill.

Down 16-11 in set three, Molloy rallied to take nine of 12 points to go ahead 20-19. The Dolphins came back, taking a one point, 22-21 lead before the Lions sealed the set, 25-23, on kills from redshirt sophomore Carly Banks (Camas, Wash.) and sophomore Hailey Wehr (Wading River, N.Y.).

Le Moyne took the fourth set, forcing a fifth and final tie-breaking set. The Dolphins went ahead early, going up 5-2. A service ace from sophomore Devon Hagerstrom (Bethpage, N.Y.) combined with kills from freshman Emily Meyer (Seaford, N.Y.) and Maggie Lavelle (Hicksville, N.Y.) pushed the Lions in front 9-8. The Dolphins, however, took seven of the next 11 to take the set and earn the victory.

Banks shattered her previous career-high, leading all scorers with 23 on the day. Freshman Kacey Affrunti (Levittown, N.Y.) also tallied double-digit kills with 15 of her own. Sophomore setter Sophia Smith (Georgetown, Texas) added another 50 assists to her totals while senior Dakota O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) totaled 20 digs.

Game Two: Molloy 3, Nyack 1
Set One: Molloy 25, Nyack 20
Set Two: Nyack 25, Molloy 23
Set Three: Molloy 25, Nyack 17
Set Four: Molloy 25, Nyack 17

The first set saw back-and-forth action, with neither team pulling ahead by more than three points until a kill from Meyer put Molloy in front 22-19. A service ace from the freshman coupled with two kills from Affrunti gave the Lions the first set victory 25-20.

The Lions continued their attack, leading 14-11 mid-way through the second set. The Warriors, however, rallied to take 12 of 16 points to take a 23-18 lead. Despite a late push from the maroon and white, winning four straight points, set two went to Nyack.

That, however, would be the final time that the Warriors would hold a lead on the afternoon. Nyack would come within four late in the third set before falling 25-17. In the fourth and final set, the Lions led by as much as ten points, 20-10, before picking up the 25-17 victory to take the game.

Affrunti and Banks each posted 14 kills, leading all scorers while Smith and O'Neill led with 45 assists and 19 digs, respectively.

The Lions remain at home as they welcome Dominican College to Quealy Gymnasium at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 6).