Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Saint Peter's volleyball team (5-14, 0-8 MAAC) fell to Niagara (6-9, 6-1 MAAC) in four sets (12-25, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25) on Friday night at the Gallagher Center.
The Peacocks didn't get the result they had hoped for, but they ended the match on a good note. They won the third set and almost came back in the fourth, but the Purple Eagles took the victory at the end of the day.
Despite the defeat,
Karolina T. Rodriguez Mendez had a great all-around performance, leading the team in kills with 14 while hitting an impressive .370. She also had six digs and two blocks on the receiving end.
Sibana Gonzalez Acevedo reached double-digit kills as well, totaling 11. She finished with a double-double (kills-digs) as she added 11 digs on the receiving end.
Saint Peter's has been a solid team at the service line this season and that didn't stop against the Purple Eagles. The Peacocks notched eight aces compared to just three by Niagara. The Peacocks will look to continue their success at the service line tomorrow against Canisius.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: The Peacocks quickly went down, 0-4, to start the match, but they responded with three straight points to come within one at 3-4. From there, the Purple Eagles started to gain some momentum with a scoring run as they built an 11-5 lead over Saint Peter's. SPU started to get back in it after a kill from
Elena Bilhartz and a Niagara attack error, which made it 9-13. Once the Peacocks started to show some life, the Purple Eagles scored seven unanswered points to go up, 22-10. They finished the set with three more kills and took set one, 25-12.
SET TWO: Saint Peter's showed a ton of fight in the second set. Niagara built a 6-2 lead early on, but the Peacocks quickly stormed back to a 13-13 tie. Gonzalez Acevedo spurred the scoring run with a pair of kills. After tying the set, Saint Peter's then took the lead with a Niagara attack error and a team ace, forcing a timeout by the Purple Eagles. Out of the timeout, Niagara came back to tie things up once again, this time at 19-19. The tie continued to 23-23 as the Peacocks decided to talk things over. The Purple Eagles came out of the break and took the set, 25-23, following back-to-back SPU attack errors.
SET THREE: With a 6-6 score in set three,
Indira T. Benitez Dumeng recorded a kill, followed by an ace by
Valeria Pagan Munoz, putting the Peacocks up, 8-6. Shortly after, the Purple Eagles called a timeout and responded well with four straight points. Kills by Rodriguez Mendez and Gonzalez Acevedo kept Saint Peter's in it as the Peacocks led 15-13. Niagara called its second and final timeout of the set, and it seemed to work as the Purple Eagles came back to tie everything at 18-18. Sibana Gonzalez and Rodriguez Mendez each recorded a kill before Pagan Munoz recorded an ace at the service line as the Peacocks went up, 21-18. Saint Peter's managed to fend off the Niagara comeback attempt and won the set, 25-21, on a Bilhartz ace.
SET FOUR: Niagara jumped out to a commanding 8-0 lead to start the fourth set, putting Saint Peter's in an early hole. The Peacocks slowly found their rhythm midway through the set, cutting into the deficit behind defensive adjustments, but Niagara maintained control. Despite Saint Peter's late push to close the gap, the Purple Eagles' early cushion proved too much to overcome. Niagara closed out the set, 25-22, with a kill to seal the match.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks continue conference play on the road, taking on the Canisius Golden Griffs tomorrow, Saturday, at 2 p.m. ET.
