LOUDONVILLE, New York – The Marist volleyball team (4-8, 1-0 MAAC) was resilient in the third set when it blanked Siena (0-12, 0-1 MAAC) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener for both teams Sept. 19. Set scores were 25-23, 25-21, 26-24.
Turning Points:
The first set was a frame of runs, as Marist led 4-1 before Siena came back to within one at 7-6. Ahead by one point again, the Red Foxes ripped off a 7-2 run with the help of a pair of kills by sophomore
Megan Fergus. Consecutive aces by junior
Taylor van der Biezen brought Marist to set point, but it was Fergus who ended any hopes of a Siena comeback by putting the ball on the floor.
Marist was ahead for nearly all of the second stanza. With the score tied at four, the Red Foxes went on an 11-4 tear as sophomore
Nikki DeSerpa erupted for three kills and swiped a service ace. The Saints did not get any closer than three points.
Down by as many as six in the final set, Marist continued to grind and eventually knotted the score at 18 when it capped off a streak of five consecutive points capped by a
Kelsey Ediger kill. Siena broke three more ties to reach set point, but Marist dug deep to win three more rallies and leave Loudonville with its second shutout of the season.
Inside the Numbers:
- Marist owned a 49-36 edge in kills and hit .264 for the match.
- Six different Red Foxes had a kill and three tallied double-digit totals: Ediger (13), DeSerpa (13), Fergus (15).
- Junior Katie Brierley finished one dig shy of a season high, diving for 26.
- Siena freshman Nicole Deobler swiped a match-high six service aces along with 13 kills and 13 digs.
Quote:
"Siena played us tough," Head Coach
Lauren Amundson said. "Coming in we wanted to keep the volleyball clean and simple on our side and make sure (Siena) earned their points. In the moments we were able to do that we saw the results we wanted."
Next Up:
Marist will end its streak of nine consecutive road matches when it takes on Niagara and Canisius on Sept. 23 and 24 respectively. First serve for both MAAC contests is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Western New York.
