Volleyball Drops Pair of Matches During Senior Day Tri-Match Saturday Afternoon

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team dropped a home tri-match Saturday afternoon inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. The Blue Jays started the day by falling to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foes Saint Joseph's College of Maine (SJC), 3-1, before falling to non-conference opponent MCLA, 3-0, to round out the day. With the results, the Blue Jays move to 6-17 on the season and 5-7 in GNAC play while the Monks move to 10-15 overall and 7-6 in conference play, and the Trailblazers move to 17-3 on the year. Prior to first serve against the Monks, the USJ department of athletics held a special Senior Day ceremony, as the volleyball team honored seniors Victoria Isokpehi (Lagos, Nigeria), Katina Nanos (Lebanon, Conn.), Jezarae Ortega (East Hartford, Conn.), Claire Quinn (Canton, Mass.), and Victoria Adler (Berlin, Conn.)

USJ 1, SJC 3 (20-25, 17-25, 27-25, 15-25)

• SJC started the match strong, jumping out to a quick 8-1 lead.
• USJ would cut the gap to four, 8-4, after a 3-0 run capped off by a kill from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.)
• The Blue Jays continued to fight back, taking the lead, 13-12, after a pair of kills from freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.) and an ace from sophomore setter Alexandra Long (East Hartford, Conn.)
• However, the Monks would regain the lead, fending off the Blue Jays to take the opening set, 25-20.
• The two teams battled back-and-forth to open the second set, playing out a 6-6 tie.
• SJC would go on to take a five-point lead, 14-9 following a 5-1 stretch, btu USJ responded with a 4-0 run of its own, capped off by an ace from graduate student setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) to pull back within one, 14-13.
• However, USJ would not get any closer, as the Monks closed out the second set, 25-17, taking a 2-0 edge in the match.
• USJ and SJC were deadlocked for the majority of the third set, until the Monks broke open a four-point edge late, 23-19.
• However, with the Monks at match point, Isokpehi notched back-to-back kills, tying the set at 24-24.
• SJC tried again to win the match, but two costly errors and a kill from Quinn saw USJ win the set, 27-25, cutting the deficit in the match to 2-1.
• However, the Monks would fire back by dominating the fourth set, winning 25-15 to win the match, 3-1.

USJ 0, MCLA 3 (9-25, 15-25, 23-25)

• The Trailblazers came out of the gates firing, holding USJ to only nine points as the visitors won the opening set, 25-9.
• USJ would bounce back, taking a quick 4-2 lead in set two after a kill from Isokpehi and freshman middle blocker Sofia Weiss (Babylon, N.Y.).
• However, MCLA would tie the match at 11-11, before using a 9-1 stretch to break open a 20-12 lead.
• The deficit proved too much for USJ to overcome as the Trailblazers won the second set, 25-15, taking a 2-0 edge in the match.
• After a close start to the third set, MCLA jumped out to a six-point lead, 15-9.
• USJ would not go down easy though, utilizing a 4-0 run, featuring an ace from Adler and a kill by Harris, to get back within one, 21-20.
• The Blue Jays would tie the set at 23-23 after an ace from sophomore outside hitter Bernae Webb (Bridgeport, Conn.), but MCLA would secure the final two points, winning the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-0.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays remain in West Hartford, playing its final home game of the 2023 season against Elms on Wednesday, November 1. First save against the Blazers is set for 7:00 p.m.

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