JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Saint Peter's Peacocks volleyball team faced a tough challenge in their home matchup against the LIU Sharks, falling in straight sets (15-25, 15-25, 19-25) on Tuesday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Peacocks opened the match on a high note, taking the first point off an LIU attack error. A powerful double block from sophomore Karolina Rodriguez and junior Elena Bilhartz gave Saint Peter's a brief 2-1 lead, but LIU quickly regained control with a series of kills and blocks. A five-point run by the Sharks, fueled by Peacock errors, widened the gap to 22-13. Saint Peter's managed to fend off set point once, but a final kill from LIU sealed the first set, 25-15.
LIU stormed out to an early lead in the second set, capitalizing on Peacock errors to go up 4-0. Saint Peter's found life midway through the set with back-to-back kills from Rivera, trimming the deficit to 7-4. Despite the surge, the Sharks responded with a seven-point run late in the set to reach set point at 24-14. A kill from freshman Skye Graham briefly delayed LIU, but another Shark kill closed the set at 25-15.
The Peacocks fought hard in the third set, taking an early 3-1 lead thanks to back-to-back LIU errors and a kill from Pagan Munoz. The two teams traded blows throughout the set, with junior Sydney Kuzma and Rivera each providing timely kills. Saint Peter's went up 13-10 following a four-point run capped by a service ace from freshman Danielle Caligiuri. However, LIU answered with a run of their own, regaining the lead at 14-13. The Sharks then pulled away in the final moments, securing the sweep with three consecutive kills to win the set 25-19.
Inside the Numbers:
Rivera led the Peacocks with 9 kills and 8 digs.
Pagan Munoz added 6 kills and 6 digs.
Cleopatra Diakou distributed 16 assists.
Up Next:
The Saint Peter's Peacocks head to Fairfield, Connecticut, to take on the Fairfield University Stags in a conference matchup on Saturday, October 19. First serve is scheduled for 1 PM.
For continuing coverage of Saint Peter's University Athletics, visit SaintPetersPeacocks.com and follow the Peacocks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
