SPARKILL, N.Y. – Junior libero
Alyssa Groves led all players with 31 digs while three Post University Women's Volleyball players finished with 10-plus kills in their first matchup since 2002 against St. Thomas Aquinas College on Thursday night in Sparkill, New York. However, it would not be enough as the Spartans overcame a close loss in set one and used a comeback in set two to spark a four-set win over the Eagles, 3-1.
THE BASICS
Post University 1, St. Thomas Aquinas College 3
Post University (9-8)
St. Thomas Aquinas College (5-10)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The numbers were nearly identical for both teams by the end of the night as Post and St. Thomas Aquinas each finished with 21 errors and a .185 attack percentage while the Eagles had 53 kills compared to 54 for the Spartans, showing just how close this match as on paper despite the 3-1 score in favor of the home team.
Three points would be the largest lead throughout much of the first set for either team before the Eagles ended things with a 6-0 run while trailing 20-19. Graduate outside hitter
Sara Enright had two kills on that run while senior outside hitter
Tamara Radovanov added another and a service ace from Groves along with two Spartan errors willed Post to a 25-20 opening set victory.
Ironically enough, St. Thomas Aquinas opened set two with a 6-0 run of their own courtesy of three straight service aces by senior setter Lea Venghaus and a couple of attack errors by the Eagles. But despite the early deficit, Post would slowly make their way back into the set and eventually deliver the big turn of it when trailing 15-12 as another 6-0 run led by Radovanov's three kills flipped that deficit into a three-point lead, 18-15. But on the brink of victory, 24-23, a timeout by the Spartans and three consecutive errors by Post gave St. Thomas Aquinas the set, 26-24, making it a best-of-three the rest of the way.
While the Eagles would have some one-point leads early in each of the next two sets, they would be unable to sustain that momentum and the Spartans would capitalize on that to take the lead and never look back. Winning set three, 25-19, courtesy of a late 5-0 run that helped them seize the set, and then set four they would stave off a late Post comeback to take it, 25-22, and take the match in four sets for their first win in program history against the Eagles.
The Spartans were led by 18 kills from junior outside hitter Greta Santini and the services of freshmen outside hitter Chloe Weiting and Evie Paalman who had 11 and 10 kills respectively in the win. Paalman also led St. Thomas Aquinas with 20 digs, one of five Spartans players with 10-plus digs, and Venghaus contributed a match-high 41 assists as well.
Graduate outside hitter
Kristina Peric once again led the Eagles in kills with 13 on 45 attempts giving her a .111 attack percentage while Enright tallied 11 kills and senior outside hitter
Caley Harper tacked on 10 kills of her own. Senior setter
Maria Fernanda Branco and graduate setter
Izabella Rae shared the assist duties, recording 24 and 20 assists respectively while Groves had 31 digs alongside 17 each from Enright and Harper.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Greta Santini led all players with 18 kills on 59 attempts for St. Thomas Aquinas leading to a .237 attack percentage, Santini also added 14 digs in the contest
- Alyssa Groves finished with 31 digs in today's match putting her at 1,490 in her career, she is currently second all-time in digs in program history chasing only Kerry Smith (2005-08) who owns the all-time record with 1,689 career digs
- When Post University's attack percentage is above .200 for an entire match, they remain 6-0 this season – When the Eagles attack below .200 as a team, they are now 3-8 overall, Post attacked at a .185 clip this evening against St. Thomas Aquinas College
- Tonight's matchup marked the first time since 2002 in which Post University and St. Thomas Aquinas have faced each other – The Eagles won both those matchups that year, 3-0 and 3-1, as the two teams played both at home and on the road against each other that year
WHO'S NEXT
Post University hits the court in less than 24 hours for their third match in four days as they take on Goldey-Beacom College at home in the Drubner Center on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM as part of Homecoming Weekend at Post. Since 2012, the Eagles have won 10 of their 11 matchups with the Lightning including the last two which have both been 3-0 sweeps.
