Buffalo, N.Y. - The volleyball team ended the opening weekend of East Coast Conference play undefeated following a 3-2 victory over the Saints of D'Youville University. Molloy sits at 9-4 on the season and 2-0 in league play while the defending ECC Champion Saints end the week at 4-8 (1-1 ECC).

Molloy 25, DYU 21
DYU 25, Molloy 18
DYU 25, Molloy 23
Molloy 25, DYU 22
Molloy 15, DYU 11

How it Happened

• The Lions were ready to play from the start, jumping ahead 5-0 with a kill from sophomore Isabella Rios and a service ace from graduate student Julia Zalta. 
• D'Youville chipped away at the early lead and would tie the contest on three occasions.
• Ahead 19-17, Molloy would take five of the next six points to take a comfortable 24-18 lead. A kill from Rios sealed the set for the visitors.
• The score would be tied six times through the start of the second set before a run of five-of-six gave the Saints a 13-10 lead.
• Molloy would come within one, but was unable to overtake the home team to tie the match at 1-1.
• The Saints led from open to close in the third set, taking advantage of a five-point run that put them ahead 12-6. Molloy would come within one on seven occasions, including as late as 24-23, but a kill from Maddie Boglev put D'Youville ahead in the match, 2-1.
• The fourth set sparked the visitors back to life, opening the set on a 9-2 run that saw blocks from Zalta, senior Teresa Moulder, and junior Erin Stanley. Zalta would also add an ace in the run with Stanley, Moulder, and freshman Haven Trechter picking up kills. 
• The Saints worked the score back within one late, 23-22, but back-to-back kills from Moulder and senior Ilaria Micol Chiericati gave the set to Molloy and forced a deciding set.
• Continuing the momentum from the fourth set, kills from Stanley and Zalta, who also added an ace, put the Lions in front 5-1. 
• Kills from Trechter and Chiericati paired with an ace from senior Aria Miller made it 8-2 Molloy.
• The Saints would come within two three times in the final third of the match, but a kill from Moulder won the set and match for the Lions.

Top Performances

• Trechter led the team with 13 kills, adding seven digs and an ace. 
• Moulder and Rios both followed with 11 kills. Moulder tallied four blocks while Rios added 10 digs for a double-double.
• Zalta also had a double-double with 21 assists and 23 digs to go four blocks, four kills, and a game-leading four aces.
• Junior Hayden Riddle tallied 16 assists to go with three digs. 
• Miller put up 14 digs, seven assists, and an ace. 
• Chiericati had two aces to go with three blocks and six kills. 
• Stanley rounded out the offense with nine kills and added two blocks. 

Up Next
Molloy will return to Rockville Centre for the first time in nearly three weeks. The Lions take on the Knights of Queens College on Wednesday (Oct. 1) at 7:00 p.m. from Bob Houlihan Court.