Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rockville Centre, NY – The volleyball team opened the 2026 campaign with a 1-1 record, starting with a thrilling five-set victory over Georgian Court by taking the first, third, and fifth sets before falling to Bloomsburg 3-1. 
 
Game One: Molloy 3, Georgian Court 2
Molloy 25, GCU 21
GCU 25, Molloy 22
Molloy 29, GCU 27
GCU 25, Molloy 14
Molloy 15, GCU 13
 
How it Happened

• The teams were evenly matched from the start, with neither side gaining much of an advantage until a four-point run put Molloy ahead, 10-7. Senior Erin Stanley and freshmen Kailie Girard and Peyton Douglas recorded kills during the run while graduate student Hayden Riddle added a service ace.
• Georgian Court answered with three-straight points to even the score. The teams would be tied twice more, including at 17-17, before a kill and block from Douglas, a block from Stanley, and an ace from Riddle gave the Lions a 21-17 advantage. The visitors twice pulled within two late in the set, but an attack error followed by a service ace from freshman Olivia Smith sealed the opening frame for Molloy, 25-21.
• Georgian Court controlled the early stages of the second set, building a 15-9 lead. Kills from junior Franki Kelleher, Girard, Stanley, and freshman Emma Kappaz helped Molloy chip away at the deficit, with the Lions pulling within two twice late in the frame. Georgian Court's Kyla Davis ended the set with a kill to even the match at one set apiece.
• Molloy came out strong in the third set, using an 11-3 run to take control. Georgian Court responded with a 12-3 run of its own later in the frame, erasing a nine-point deficit to tie the score at 23. Neither team could gain the two-point advantage needed to close out the set, with the score becoming tied four more times. Back-to-back kills from Kelleher and Girard ultimately gave Molloy the 29-27 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
• The Lions struggled offensively in the fourth set, committing 13 attack errors. Georgian Court capitalized, closing out the set on a five-point run to force a deciding fifth frame, 25-14.
• The fifth set returned to the tightly contested play that defined much of the match, as neither team managed more than two consecutive points through the first 16 points. Back-to-back Georgian Court kills, coupled with a Molloy attack error, gave the visitors a 10-9 lead. The advantage grew to 13-11 before a kill from Stanley and a Georgian Court attack error brought the set even at 13-13.
• Molloy claimed the final two points, capped by a match-winning kill from Girard, to secure the five-sets victory and open the season with a win.

 
Top Performances

• Stanley opened the season by matching a career-high 16 kills while adding three blocks and five digs.
• Kelleher followed with 12 kills, three blocks and three digs.
• Girard reached double digits with 12 kills in her collegiate debut.
• Riddle and Olivia Smith each tallied 24 assists with Riddle matching a career-high four aces.
• Kappaz (13) and fellow freshmen Laci Smith (17) and Isabella Smith (24) each opened their collegiate careers in double digit digs.
• Douglas led the team with four blocks in her debut, adding five kills.

 
 
Game Two: Bloomsburg 3, Molloy 1
Molloy 25, Bloomsburg 16
Bloomsburg 27, Molloy 25
Bloomsburg 25, Molloy 21
Bloomsburg 25, Molloy 14

How it Happened

• While the opening point of the match would go in favor of the Huskies, kills from Kelleher and Stanley helped put the Lions ahead, 3-1, early. 
• Molloy maintained the advantage, including a 6-1 run that featured aces from both Kappaz and Olivia Smith to give the Lions an 11-6 lead.
• Bloomsburg worked the score back within one, 12-11, but strong serving from Laci Smith, Olivia Smith, Isabella Smith, and Kelleher propelled the Lions ahead as Molloy took 13 of the final 18 points to claim the opening set, 25-16. 
• The home team appeared to be in control through much of the second set, taking advantage of a five-point rally and then later a four-point rally to take a 16-11 lead.
• Closing in on set point at 24-19, Molloy fell victim to a costly five-point rally from the Huskies that included three-straight service aces to knot the score at 24. 
• A kill from Girard took Molloy to set point for the second time, but Bloomsburg closed the set with three-straight points to tie the match at one set apiece. 
• The Huskies' offense overpowered Molloy in both the third and fourth sets, attacking at over 30 percent in each frame to take the match, 3-1.

Top Performances

• Stanley topped the offense for the second-straight match with 14 kills while adding three blocks and three digs. 
• Girard hit at a .320 clip with 11 kills followed by eight from Laci Smith, who added six digs and two aces. 
• Olivia Smith paced the Lions with five service aces.The freshman added 18 assists and four digs. 
• Riddle also reached double digit assists at 14 while chipping in eight digs.
• Kappaz (14) and Isabella Smith (12) topped the squad in digs. 
• Kelleher rounded out Molloy's performances with four kills, four digs, and three blocks.

Up Next
Molloy is back in action tomorrow (August 29) with matches against both Post and Tampa beginning at 12:00 p.m. from Bob Houlihan Court.