FLUSHING, N.Y. -- Graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric had a team-best 28 kills across two matches for Post University Women's Volleyball in their first day of the Long Island Invitational in which the Eagles took on then-undefeated Queens College as well as East Stroudsburg on Friday. However, the losing streak for Post would increase to three as the Knights and Warriors both took care of business in four sets, 3-1, on the campus of Queens College in Flushing, New York. 
 
THE BASICS

Post University 1, Queens College 3

Post University 1, East Stroudsburg University 3

Post University (2-4)

Queens College (6-1)

East Stroudsburg University (4-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior setter Maria Fernanda Branco totaled up 57 assists while junior libero Alyssa Groves accumulated another 76 digs that gave her sole possession of eighth-most career digs just one behind Vicky Ducharme (2004-07) who currently sits in seventh at 1,199 digs. Groves is currently on pace to break the record set by Kerry Smith (2005-08) of 1,689 digs by the end of the season, needing to average about 23 digs per match the rest of the way which is below her current average of 26.83 digs per match.

As for Fernanda Branco, she now has 1,176 assists which puts her sixth all-time in program history ahead of her senior setter teammate Colleen Romero who currently has the ninth-most in program history while graduate setter Izabella Rae, who has 812 assists in her career, sits ahead of her in eighth as the only other active players climbing the list. 

Senior outside hitter Caley Harper led the way on the offensive with 12 kills while Peric was just behind her with 11 kills in the first match against Queens College, a rematch of last week's five-set finish which saw the Eagles on the losing end of it. Setting a new career high, Groves had 41 digs to surpass her record of 33 digs set last season against Felician University at home. But after being on the brink of winning set one, 24-22, and dropping it 26-24, the Knights comfortably took set two, 25-15, after a 9-1 start to the set. 

A hot start to set three carried all the way through for the Eagles to stay alive, 25-13, but following a 14-12 lead in set four, a 4-0 run would be the start of a runaway fourth and final set for Queens who won it 25-18 for the 3-1 victory.

Freshman outside hitter Kelly Crites and junior middle blocker Anna Coulter led the way for East Stroudsburg in match two of the day that Post played with 15 kills each while Peric had another monster day with a game-high 17 kills to go along with her 14 digs. Once again, Groves had a big game digging the ball out with 35 total digs in the four-set affair to bring that final mark up to 76 digs for the entire day. 

With 39 assists in that match, Fernanda Branco tied her career high which was set once each of the last two seasons against Caldwell University in 2022 and New Haven in 2023 both on October 5th. But after a victory in set one, 25-21, a slow start to set two led to an even match with the Warriors' 25-19 win and they carried that momentum the rest of the way. 

Trailing 22-20 in set three, East Stroudsburg rattled off five straight points to win the set, 25-22, and after leading by as many as eight in set four, they would quell a late rally by the Eagles that brought the match's final set to a more respectable, 25-20, in the 3-1 final which sent Post to 2-4 overall after their 2-1 start. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Kristina Peric now has a team-leading 76 kills this season and has double-digit kills in five of the team's first six matches -- Peric has 10-plus kills in three consecutive matches now 
• For the first time this season, Caley Harper recorded double-digit kills in back-to-back matches -- Harper set the program record for most consecutive matches with double-digit kills at 12 from September 13th to October 14th last year 
• Alyssa Groves tallied a total of 76 digs across both matches putting her at 1,198 in her career moving her past Emily Wilman for eighth-most in program history, Kerry Smith (2005-08) owns the all-time record with 1,689 career digs – Groves is only two digs away from surpassing Vicky Ducharme for seventh all-time
• Making more history for herself, Alyssa Groves also set a new career high with 41 digs, surpassing her previous mark of 33 digs set last year at home against Felician University on October 3rd, 2023 

 
WHO'S NEXT
Post University is right back at it, this time in Rockville Centre, N.Y. at Molloy University to take on the Lions and Assumption University at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM respectively. The Eagles faced off against Molloy in 2023, getting swept in three sets after sweeping them in 2022 while also falling against the Greyhounds last season in five sets, 3-2, down in New Haven, Connecticut.