NEW ROCHELLE, NY- In a hard-fought matchup, Saint Peter's (5-17, 3-12 MAAC) pushed Iona (9-18, 7-8 MAAC) to five sets before falling 3-2. The Peacocks opened strong and forced a decisive fifth set but couldn't overcome the Gaels' late surge, dropping the final frame 15-6.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1:
Saint Peter's came out strong, shaking off an early error to tie the score with Maliyah Labrie landing the first kill of the day. Back-to-back kills by Penelope Rivera gave the Peacocks an early 3-2 lead. As the set progressed, Saint Peter's took control with a multi-point rally fueled by Labrie, who was unstoppable on her first five attempts, and an ace from Karolina Rodriguez. Saint Peter's extended their lead to 21-15 before closing the set with a final surge, capped by a Rivera kill and a Gael error. The Peacocks clinched the first set 25-20
Set 2:
Iona responded in the second set, despite an early 3-2 advantage for Saint Peter's off Labrie's kill, ace, and a commanding solo block from Elena Bilhartz. The Gaels countered with several rallies, including a five-point burst that widened their lead to 23-16. Although Valeria Pagan Munoz delivered a late kill to try to shift momentum, Iona took the set 25-17, leveling the match at 1-1.
Set 3:
In the third, Saint Peter's faced an early four-point deficit despite an opening Iona error. Iona built a substantial lead through multi-point runs, stretching their advantage to 21-12. Though Labrie, Bilhartz, and Rivera made critical kills to slow Iona's offense, the Gaels' momentum carried them to a 25-17 win, putting them up 2-1 in the match.
Set 4
Refusing to back down, Saint Peter's showed remarkable resilience in the fourth set. Although Iona gained an early 6-1 lead, the Peacocks rallied back with consecutive kills by Rivera, Labrie, and Bilhartz, tightening the score to 15-14. Saint Peter's then took a brief lead at 20-19 with a Labrie-Rodriguez block combo. A series of crucial blocks by Bilhartz, Labrie, and Rivera brought the Peacocks to set point, where Labrie's final kill secured a 25-23 win, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Set 5:
Labrie opened the final set with another powerful kill, but Iona quickly responded, putting together a five-point run that swung momentum in their favor. The Gaels ultimately sealed the match with three consecutive points, winning the final set 15-6.
Inside the Numbers:
Labrie led the match with 18 kills and 20.5 points.
Bilhartz lands seven kills on 16 attempts, swinging a team high .375. She also tallied two solo block and three blocking assists
Rivera added 11 kills and nine digs
Cleopatra Diakou notched a match high 27 assists
Up Next:
Saint Peter's wraps up their road games tomorrow, November 10, against Manhattan University in the Bronx, NY. 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.
