Garden City, N.Y. - The volleyball team had Panthers of Adelphi University to the ropes this evening with a 14-11 lead in the fifth and deciding set. The host Panthers rallied to take the final five points necessary to win the match. Molloy sits at 12-6 on the season following the loss while Adelphi improves to 14-7.

Molloy 25, Adelphi 23
Adelphi 25, Molloy 19
Adelphi 25, Molloy 18
Molloy 25, Adelphi 23
Adelphi 16, Molloy 14

How it Happened

• The first set offered a preview of how evenly matched the teams would seem to be all night.
• Adelphi would string together a run of three points to lead 8-4 early on. The Lions remained within striking distance and would come within one, 17-16, follow a four-set run with two kills from freshman Haven Trechter and an ace from junior Hayden Riddle. 
• Molloy would later tie the score at 22 before a three-point run of a kill from senior Teresa Moulder and a kill and a block from junior Erin Stanley forced the first lead change of the evening and gave the visitors the first set.
• The teams would find the score tied 10 times in the second set before Adelphi fired off six of seven points to lead 20-15. Molloy would be able to come within three, but the Panthers ultimately tied the match by taking the second set.
• The stalemates continued to start the third set until three-straight points gave Adelphi the 11-8 advantage. 
• Molloy would come as close as two points on more than one occasion, but were unable to regain a lead before the end of the set.
• The score would be tied 13 times in the fourth set, including as late as 22-22. A kill from senior Ilaria Micol Chiericati paired with an ace from Riddle gave Molloy the cushion necessary to force a fifth and deciding set after an attack from the Panthers went long.
• Adelphi took an early three point lead in the final set, but the Lions clawed back to tie the score on three different occasions before a three-point run put the visitors in front, 11-9.
• Kills from Chiericati, Moulder, and graduate student Julia Zalta put Molloy just one point from a match victory, but the home team was able to rally for the next five-straight points to steal the victory.

Top Performances

• Trechter led the offense with 14 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double.
• Moulder (13) and Stanley (11) followed. 
• Zalta (three solo, three assist) and Chiericati (one solo, five assist) each had a match-high six blocks. The mark sets a career-high for Zalta, who added 24 assists and 13 digs for a double-double.
• Riddle topped the team with three aces while adding 18 assists and four digs. 
• Senior Aria Miller tallied 21 digs to go with four assists. 

Up Next
It will be a battle for the top spot in the East Coast Conference on Saturday (Oct. 18) as Molloy takes on Mercy in a battle of the undefeated teams at 12:00 p.m. from Bob Houlihan Court in Rockville Centre.