Waterbury, Conn. – The Post University volleyball team lost two matches to Southern Connecticut State University and Bridgeport on Friday during the first day of the Post University Invitational at the Drubner Center.
 
The Eagles dropped to the Owls, 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18) in the afternoon and fell to the Purple Knights, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-18). The Eagles now sit at 2-5 on the season.
 
Against SCSU (6-0), the Eagles took set one, capitalizing on a 5-0 run part way through the set and taking an 11-6 lead. Lydimar Soto had two aces during the run. The Owls closed the gap to 21-20, but the Eagles shut the door scoring four of the last five points, including a kill from Kaitlyn Lemmon to close out the set.
 
In set two, the teams kept it tight and were tied 15-15 all before the Owls rattled off four straight points to take a 19-15 lead. The Eagles answered with the next three points, including another ace by Soto, but like the Eagles did in the first set, the Owls scored four of the last five points to take the set. Soto also had three kills in the set.
 
The Owls jumped out to a 4-0 lead in set three, but the Eagles scored eight of the next ten points, including three kills from Soto to take the 8-6 lead. The Owls followed with a 10-1 run of their own to take a 16-9 lead. The Eagles again were able to make another run to tie the set at 18-18 and eventually took the lead two more times at 21-20 and 22-21, the latter on a kill from Aniya Goodman. The owls again closed out on a 4-1 run to win the set. Kaitlyn Sharkey had three kills in the set.
 
The final set saw the Owls score the first seven points, and never leading by less than four the rest of the way to take the set.
 
Sharkey finished with 12 kills, while Madelynn Boop had 11. Soto had eight kills and four blocks. Colleen Romero finished with 34 assists. Nelly Diaz had 21 digs to lead the Eagles.
 
Against the Purple Knights, the Eagles held leads of 14-8 and 15-9 as five different Eagles had kills during the stretch. However, Bridgeport went on a 9-1 run to take the 18-16 lead, one they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Datari Mathis had three kills during the set.
 
In a thrilling second set, the Eagles took another big lead at 11-6, but the Purple Knights scored nine straight points to take the 14-11 lead. The Eagles were able to tie it up 18-18 after back-to-back attack errors. Bridgeport took at 23-20 lead again, but the Eagles rallied to tie the game after an ace by Goodman and a kill from Sharkey. Sharkey again tied the game at 24-24, but the Purple Knights were able to put the set away, scoring the final two points.
 
Bridgeport took a 14-5 set to open the third set and the Eagles would not get closer than four points the rest of the way.
 
Sharkey finished with ten kills. Boop had eight. Goodman and Romero each had four blocks. Diaz had 16 digs.
 
 
UP NEXT: The Eagles will host Bentley at 11 a.m. and New Haven at 7 p.m. in the final day of the Post Eagles Invitational on Saturday.
 
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