Volleyball Eases Past Elms, 3-1, At Home Wednesday Night

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team eased past visiting Elms College (Elms), 3-1, Wednesday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 7-18 on the season and 6-7 in GNAC play while the Blazers drop to 4-22 overall and 3-10 in conference play.

KEY MOMENTS 

• After a 5-5 deadlock to begin the match, USJ utilized a 6-1 run, featuring points from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.), senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and senior middle blocker Victoria Adler (Berlin, Conn.), to take an 11-6 edge and force a Elms timeout.
• The Blazers would fight back though, closing the gap to two, 18-16.
• However, USJ would not let Elms get any closer as junior outside hitter Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.) secured the final point, winning the opening set for the Blue Jays, 25-21.
• The two teams would trade runs to begin the second set, playing out a 9-9 deadlock as USJ took a timeout.
• The Blazers began to pull away though, jumping out to a six-point lead, 20-14.
• USJ would not be able to mount a late comeback, as Elms held on to win the second set, 25-17, and tie the match at 1-1.
• The Blue Jays bounced back to begin the third set, jumping out to a 9-4 lead, paced by three kills from Carey and points from senior middle blocker Victoria Isokpehi (Lagos, Nigeria) freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.), Heaney and Adler.
• USJ continued to dominate the third set using stellar serving from Ayala Rodriguez, Adler, senior defensive specialist Katina Nanos (Lebanon, Conn.) and graduate student setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) to close on a 16-5 stretch, to win the third set, 25-9, and take a 2-1 edge in the match.
• The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair at the start, as USJ and Elms battled to a 9-9 tie.
• The Blue Jays would start to break away, using a 6-1 run, featuring a kill from Isokpehi, to break open a 17-12 lead.
• Elms would storm back though, tying the match at 17-17, before getting within set point, 24-23.
• USJ would not let the Blazers take the set though, as Heaney would secure a kill to tie the match at 24-24, before a costly Elms error enabled Isokpehi to record back-to-back kills to end the match, winning the set for USJ, 27-25, and the match, 3-1.

NOTES 

• Carey posted a double-double, notching 18 kills and 19 digs.
• Isokpehi and Adler joined Carey in double digit kills, tallying 11 and 10 respectively.
• Ayala Rodriguez paced the defense, recording 22 digs.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays wrap up the 2023 regular season with a GNAC tri-match at Simmons University on Saturday, November 4. USJ begins the day with a matchup against Johnson & Wales University at 1:00 p.m., before rounding out the season against the host Sharks at 3:00 p.m.

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