WATERBURY, Conn. – The Post University Eagles volleyball team opened their season today with a double header in Flushing, New York as part of the Long Island Invitational Tournament, in which they began 0-2 versus host opponent, Queens College, and American International College.
GAME ONE
Post 2, Queens 3
In game one, the Knights began with a service ace, attempting to set a theme for the match, but the Eagles won the first set, 26-24, after a near-even battle. In set two, the junior middle blocker, Alani Duncan, continued momentum, opening the set with a block. After what began as another back-and-forth set, the Knights went on an 8-0 run and controlled the lead at 24-14 before finishing the Eagles 25-15.
In the third set, the Eagles went on a couple scoring runs, amping their lead, eventually up to a 19-12 lead due in part to a string of kills from returning sophomore Elyana Ortiz, senior transfer setter Kata Kovacs and freshman Lilly Chavez. Duru Karagoz also had back-back kills to extend her team's lead to 23-16, and the Eagles went up 2-1.
With five aces in the fourth set, Queens regained control of home court, stomping out the Eagles and their nine errors in a 25-15 set win. In a tense fifth set, Queens bested Post 15-8.
Knights' standouts Zoe Sercu and Olivia Hyman combined for ten aces in the game, and Sercu added 17 kills, hitting at a .286 clip. Eagles freshman Miley Avenell passed up 27 digs in the game, attempting to save her team from the brutal serve-receive. Chavez had 11 kills and Ortiz added 10.
GAME TWO
Post 0, AIC 3
Head Coach Tiffany Verni and her Eagles squad moved immediately into their second matchup of the day against the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets, led by Janelys Perez Cortes, Carissa Michel and Victoria Mendez, toppled the Eagles in just three sets with 38 kills. They added onto an already tough day for the Eagles defensively with 13 aces.
On the other side of the net, Post showed signs of exhaustion after a five-set loss against Queens. The Eagles attacked the ball at just a .098 clip and had 27 team digs, let by Kovacs at nine.
The Eagles will continue tournament play tomorrow with two games – Molloy University at 12 p.m. and University of Tampa at 2:30 p.m., this time all on Molloy's home court.
