RIVERDALE, New York – The Marist volleyball team won its third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Manhattan Jaspers in four sets.The team is now in sole possession of second place in the MAAC, trailing just first place Fairfield.
With the win, the Red Foxes improve to 9-11 on the season, and 7-3 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. Meanwhile, the Jaspers fall to 5-17 overall and 3-7 in the conference.
- Nikki DeSerpa opened the match with a massive kill, and Marist used the momentum of the kill to get out to a 13-8 lead. Manhattan called its first timeout to try and slow the Red Foxes down, but it would not work, as Marist fired four straight kills out of the stoppage (Megan Fergus, Gabby Murray, Sarah Austin, and Fergus again in that order) to take a 17-8 lead. DeSerpa clinched the set with a service ace, and the Red Foxes got on the board first, 25-15.
- The Jaspers flipped the script early in set two, and took a quick 14-11 lead, this time forcing Marist to take the timeout. That lead was the largest Manhattan would see for the rest of the set, while the Red Foxes cut the deficit to just one point on seven different occasions. However, the Jaspers were able to kill every Marist run, and hung on to win the set 25-22.
- Set three was much more evenly matched, leading to a stalemate at 19. After a bad set from Manhattan put the Red Foxes in front, Fergus slammed a kill too extend the lead to 21-19. Fergus' 18th and 19th kills of the match helped put the finishing touches on Marist's 25-21 set three victory.
- The Red Foxes got out to an early lead in the fourth set, and never looked back. A solo block from McKinley Fox helped that lead grow to 16-9. Manhattan called a timeout trailing 18-11 but at that point it was too late. The Jaspers would score three straight points to cut the deficit to four, but a Marist timeout was able to stifle that comeback attempt. The Red Foxes took five of the next seven points to extend their lead to 23-17, and then back-to-back kills from Murray and Ashley Cruise clinched the set, and the match.
- Fergus led the way for the Red Foxes with a match-high 24 kills. She totaled nine digs, falling just one dig short of her third consecutive double-double.
- Austin was tied for the second-most kills in the match with 14, on a .387 hitting percentage.
- Fox tallied a match-high 48 assists, and added eight digs with two kills.
- Sophia Theriot led Marist with 18 digs, which was also a match-high.
- Julia Menocal and Vivian Donovan each had 14 kills, leading the way for the Jaspers.
- The Red Foxes outhit Manhattan, .316-.210.
- Fergus' 24 kills continued her dominant season, and sets a new career-high for the senior outside hitter.
- Sophomore Morgan Owens tallied 10 digs, her second time with double-figure digs this season.
- Murray followed up a record-setting Saturday night with seven more kills today, on a .455 hitting percentage.
- Every single Marist player who saw the court today (11 total players) tallied at least one dig.
Marist will return to McCann Arena next weekend for a two-match homestand. The Red Foxes will take on the Rider Broncs on Saturday, October 26, and then the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Sunday, October 27. First serve for both matches is set for 1 p.m.
