ORANGEBURG, N.Y. – Do not look now, but Post University Women's Volleyball has started to find their groove at the perfect time. After dropping four straight conference matches, falling to 1-5 overall in the North Division and on the brink of falling out of the top four spots which would get them into Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament, the Eagles have gone on a run.
 
Winners of their last two CACC matches entering the night, Post University came from behind once again after trailing two sets to one against Dominican (N.Y.) on Thursday night, earning their third straight conference win with a 3-2 five-set victory over the Lady Chargers. The win moved the Eagles within two games in the loss column of second place Felician and Dominican (N.Y.).
 
THE BASICS

Post University 3, Dominican (N.Y.) 2

Post University (5-17, 5-5 CACC) 

Dominican (N.Y.) (8-14, 6-3 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was all Lady Chargers in the first set who took the lead and never looked back against the Eagles. Starting on a 4-0 run, following three attack errors from Post University, Dominican (N.Y.) would never allow the Eagles to tie the set as they would only get within one point on two occasions, the first being 7-6. Another 4-0 run from the Lady Chargers behind two attack errors from junior outside hitter Caley Harper and kills from sophomore outside hitter Elizabeth Perez and freshman setter Kaeden Sanstead gave Dominican (N.Y.) a five-point edge.
 
Trailing 20-14, the Eagles looked to mount a comeback which would see them get within that one-point threshold once more after a 5-0 run surrounded by a Lady Chargers timeout. That timeout would prove worthwhile as Dominican (N.Y.) would record five of the next seven points capped off by a kill from Perez to take set one, 25-21.
 
A quick start to set two for the Lady Chargers saw them take a 6-2 lead after trailing 2-0 to start, which was quickly met with a 5-0 response run by the Eagles to leap back in front. With a 7-2 run led by two kills from junior middle hitter Hannah Brandt, Post would open up a 17-11 edge looking to pull even in the match. However, three straight errors quickly turned their comfortable lead into a dogfight as Dominican (N.Y.) made the most of their opportunity to go on a 5-0 run to pull within one. Regaining their composure, the Eagles would create some distance to the tune of a three-point lead before using a 3-0 run, all from Lady Charger errors, to win set two, 25-19.
 
Similar to set one, it was Dominican (N.Y.) who took the lead and never gave it back after the Eagles went up 4-3 following back-to-back attack errors. Tied at six, sophomore middle blocker Savannah Tody notched two kills as part of a 4-0 run that gave her team a 10-6 lead and Post would be unable to recover, only pulling within two points of the Lady Chargers throughout the rest of the set. Moving within one set of victory following a 25-22 third set capped off by junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Carr's kill, Dominican (N.Y.) looked to sweep the season series against the Eagles in the fourth set.
 
Backs against the wall, the fourth set would be owned by Post University who rattled off a 5-0 run and set the tone after a sloppy start for the Lady Chargers saw them commit back-to-back errors while junior outside hitter Tamara Radovanov tallied a service ace and kill in that stretch. Continuing their dominance, the Eagles led by up to nine points after going on a pair of mini 3-0 runs and eventually were on the brink of winning the set, 24-15. But the Lady Chargers would not go down quietly, as two Carr kills, a Perez kill, and two Eagle errors led to a 5-0 run that got them within four, 24-20, before Radovanov's kill forced a decisive, 15-point fifth set.

Errors would be the undoing of the Lady Chargers in the final set, helping spur a 4-0 run by the Eagles after trailing 2-1 to start the frame. From there, Post would never relinquish the lead and after two kills from Perez around an Eagle error made it an 11-9 set, Post University would shut the door on the comeback. Starting with a kill from junior setter Colleen Romero, the Eagles manufactured a set-winning and game-winning 4-0 run closed out by senior setter Izabella Rae's kill to put Post at .500 in conference play this season.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Caley Harper has now recorded double-digit kills in 14 of the last 15 matches for Post University, including two straight matches after tonight's 19-kill performance
• In four of her last five matches, Hannah Brandt has recorded a hitting percentage above .300 as well as double-digit kills and four-plus service aces in three matches
• Izabella Rae registered a season-high 38 assists, one shy of her career-high last year of 39 while tallying a season-high four blocks which also tied her career-high from last year against Dominican (N.Y.) (10/11/22)
• This is the first road win for Post University against Dominican (N.Y.) since the 2019 season in which they won, 3-1 – The Eagles had lost their previous two road matchups and three of their last four matches overall against the Lady Chargers
• After losing 11 straight matches that went five sets, Post University has now won back-to-back five-set matches, both of which they trailed 2-1 before winning the final two sets

WHO'S NEXT
Post University heads down to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a rematch of last year's CACC Quarterfinals matchup against Jefferson University on Saturday at 1:00 PM. After leading 2-1 in the match, the Eagles would drop sets four and five, losing to the top seed in the South Division, 3-2. In the all-time series, Post has dropped seven consecutive matches against the Rams dating back to 2016.