Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Saint Peter's women's volleyball team opened up its five-game homestand on Saturday with a five-set victory over Iona.
Lauren Behrens (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) fueled the Peacocks with a game-high 18 kills and a team-best of 20 digs. Kristina Baehr (Manassas, Va. / Stonewall Jackson) tallied a career-high 58 assists while Amanda Colombo (Wallington, N.J./Wallington) recorded a career-best 15 kills in the team's first conference victory of the season.
Catrina Warren paced the Gaels with 14 kills while Shannon Ward and Taylor Cembalisty each recorded 12 kills in the loss.
Down 16-14 in the opening set, Iona (4-12, 1-4 MAAC) used a 9-3 spurt to win the first game, 25-17.
In the second set, Saint Peter's (3-9, 1-3 MAAC) opened up with a 12-5 advantage. The Gaels made a run, scoring eight straight points to take a 13-12 lead.
Saint Peter's countered with four unanswered points to regain the lead. Iona responded with a 10-3 run to take a 23-19 lead. The Peacocks stormed back, going on a 7-1 run en route to a 26-24 set victory.
Knotted at 22 in the third set, a kill from Kassandra Darnaby gave Iona a 23-22 edge. The Peacocks responded with two straight scores to take a one-point lead. Three consecutive scores from the Gaels gave the team a 26-24 set win.
Trailing 16-14 in the fourth set and on the brink of defeat, Saint Peter's tallied four straight scores to take an 18-16 advantage. The Peacocks did not relinquish their lead, holding on for the 25-22 game victory and forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth set, Saint Peter's opened up with a 12-7 lead. Iona did not go away, scoring five straight points to knot the game at 12.
The Peacocks regained the lead from a kill from Behrens. Iona answered with a kill from Cembalisty. A kill from Colombo gave Saint Peter's the lead and Meredith Przybocki (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) finished off the Gaels with a score to give the Peacocks a 15-13 game victory and the five-set win.
This is the second straight season that Saint Peter's has opened up at home with a five-set victory over an opponent. Today's win is also Saint Peter's first women's volleyball victory over Iona since 2008.
Saint Peter's returns to action tomorrow, when the team welcomes Manhattan to the Yanitelli Center for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) matchup. Opening serve is slated for 1:00 p.m.
