Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The volleyball team improved to 5-1 after victories over Caldwell University (3-1) and Saint Anselm College (3-2) in the team's first matches from Quealy Gymnasium in 2024.

Game One
Caldwell 25, Molloy 20
Molloy 25, Caldwell 15
Molloy 25, Caldwell 11
Molloy 25, Caldwell 16
How it Happened

• Molloy led 6-2 to start the first set, but a 10-3 run put Caldwell in front. The Cougars did not relinquish the lead, taking a one-set lead.
• A five-point run early in the second set, featuring two aces from senior Alex Brown, gave the Lions an 8-3 advantage, a lead they would carry through the remainder of the set to knot the score.
• The first three points of the third set belonged to the visitors, however, Molloy would respond with a 15-3 run that saw aces from Brown, graduate student Kiarra Roth, and freshman Isabella Rios, who also added two kills in the run. 
• The Lions would maintain a double-digit advantage in the set, going ahead 2-1 on the contest.
• Both teams exchanged runs to open the fourth set, ending with Caldwell leading 8-7.
• Molloy saw another two aces from Brown paired with kills from Roth, Rios, senior Rebecca Meier, and junior Ilaria Micol Chiericati in an eight-point run that put the squad ahead, 15-8.
• Caldwell would come within four, 17-13, before the Lions took the contest with the set victory.
• Rios led the team with a career-high 18 kills, adding eight digs and two aces.
• Roth had 15 kills to go with seven digs and two assists.
• Meier rounded out the top scorers with nine kills.
• Brown's five aces were a career-high for the outside hitter, who added eight digs.
• Sophomore Aria Miller tallied 21 digs while adding five assists.
• Senior Megan Waghorn had a double-double with 47 assists and 12 digs.
• Micol Chiericati led with two blocks.

Game Two
Molloy 25, Saint Anselm 21
Saint Anselm 25, Molloy 17
Molloy 25, Saint Anselm 9
Saint Anselm 25, Molloy 18
Molloy 15, Saint Anselm 11
How it Happened

• The Lions scored the first four points of the first set, seeing a kill from Rios along with blocks from Roth and junior Sara Hiebert.
• The home team would lead from open to close.
• Both teams exchanged points without much of a run to open the second set.
• Three-straight aces from the Hawks gave the visitors a 19-13 lead that they would maintain through the end of the set.
• Molloy led 6-0 to start the third set before the Hawks would come within two, 6-4.
• Two small runs set the Lions up with a 15-9 advantage before the home team scored 10 unanswered points, featuring three kills from junior Teresa Moulder, to lead two sets to one.
• The score would be tied nine times in the fourth set, including as late as 14-14.
• Leading 18-17, Saint Anselm would score seven of the final eight points to force a deciding set.
• The teams were once again tied, 7-7, in the fifth set. The visitors would take an 11-8 advantage, but the Lions rallied for a seven-point rally that saw three blocks and a kill from Hiebert to secure the victory.
• Roth put up a double-double with 22 kills and 16 assists while adding five blocks.
• Hiebert topped the scoresheet with seven blocks and tallied six kills.
• Rios (14) and Moulder (13) each reached double digit kills, with Rios adding 21 digs for a double-double.
• Brown (16), Miller (20), and Waghorn (15) each reached double digit dig totals with Waghorn adding 49 assists for a double-double.
• Miller had four aces in the effort with Rios and Waghorn each adding two.

Up Next
The team remains in Rockville Centre tomorrow, but will play in a newly-named Bob Houlihan Gymnasium against both Post University (12:00 p.m.) and Assumption University (4:00 p.m.).