Iona & Marist Advance to 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship Semifinals

Iona & Marist Advance to 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship Semifinals

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No. 3 Iona College – 3 | No. 6 Quinnipiac University – 2 | (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 14-25, 15-11)
2017 Volleyball Championship First Round
Alumni Hall | Host: Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT
 
No. 3 Iona College (15-17, 11-7 MAAC) defeated No. 6 Quinnipiac University (10-22, 9-9 MAAC), 3-2, to advance to the 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship semifinals. The Gaels face No. 2 Niagara University on Saturday, November 18, at 5 p.m. from Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University.
 
Iona Notes:
  • The Gaels won their first MAAC Volleyball Championship match since 2014 when they defeated Saint Peter’s University in 2014. The win also marks the first MAAC Championship win for head coach Patric Santiago, who is in his second season with Iona.
  • Junior outside hitter Claire Archibald led the Gaels with a match-high 21 kills and 15 digs. The All-MAAC First Team member hit .269 and added a pair of aces in the win.
  • Junior middle blocker Mia Bonsignore added 14 kills, three digs, and two blocks. The junior hit .464.
  • 2017 MAAC Volleyball Rookie of the Year, freshman setter Jamie Smith tallied 11 kills, five assists, two digs, and hit .286.
  • Senior middle blocker Shaina Campbell registered nine kills and hit .438.
  • Junior setter Emma Rose paced the offense with a match-high 52 assists, she added nine digs on the defensive end as well.
  • Freshman libero Taylor Cole and sophomore outside hitter Tess Connolly compiled 14 and 12 digs respectively.
  • As a team, the Gaels hit .306, recorded 64 kills, 63 digs, 62 assists, and 18 blocks.
Quinnipiac Notes:
  • The Bobcats season comes to an end after their second-straight trip to the MAAC Volleyball Championship.
  • Junior right side hitter Kat Miller finished the game tied with a team-high 18 kills and had a team-high 21 digs for a double-double. The junior hit .414 and tallied a pair of aces.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Natalie Alechko notched a double-double with 18 kills and 13 digs.
  • Sophomore libero Alejandra Rodriguez totaled 20 digs and sophomore setter Maria Pansari dished out 55 assists.  
  • Quinnipiac trailed, 2-0, after the first two sets and then came back to capture sets three, and four, before falling in the fifth.
No. 4 Marist College – 3 | No. 5 Rider University – 2 | (21-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-13)
2017 Volleyball Championship First Round
Alumni Hall | Host: Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT
 
No. 4 Marist College (15-15, 11-7 MAAC) earned a come-from-behind victory over No. 5 Rider University (17-15, 10-8 MAAC), 3-2, to advance to the MAAC Volleyball Championship semifinals for the fifth year in a row. The Red Foxes take on No. 1 Fairfield University on Saturday, November 18, at 2 p.m. from Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University.
 
Marist Notes:
  • The Red Foxes trailed, 0-2, after the first two sets, but tallied three-straight wins to earn the comeback victory. Marist is the first team to comeback after trailing, 0-2, in a MAAC Championship match since Fairfield did so in a consolation match against Manhattan College in the 2014 Championship in Disney.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Nikki DeSerpa registered a game-high 24 kills and added 13 digs for a double-double. DeSerpa’s 24 kills marked a career-high for the All-MAAC First Team member.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Megan Fergus tallied 20 kills and hit .311. The 20 kills are a season-high for Fergus.
  • All-MAAC Second Team honoree, senior outside hitter Kelsey Ediger compiled a double-double with 16 kills and a game-high 27 digs.
  • Junior setter Taylor van der Biezen recorded a game-high 60 assists and notched 14 digs. Senior middle blocker Ashton Korona added seven kills and hit .316.
  • Marist collected 83 digs, 72 kills, 69 assists, and hit .226 as a team. The Red Foxes hit .440 in the fifth and final set.
Rider Notes:
  • The 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship marked the Broncs’ fourth-straight appearance.
  • All-MAAC First Team honoree, junior right side hitter Hailey Riede notched a team-high 17 kills.
  • All-MAAC Second team member, senior setter Veronica Koval tallied 42 assists, 17 digs, five kills, and hit .273.
  • Senior right side hitter Jennifer Borio added 10 kills, and senior libero Emma Aldaya finished with 12 digs.
About the 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship:
The 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Volleyball Championship takes place, November 17-19, and returns to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University for the second year in a row. For more information on the 2017 MAAC Volleyball Championship, visit maacsports.com/vb and be sure to follow the action on social media by using #MAACVB. Tickets can be purchased at maac.ticketleap.com
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.