LA PLUME, PA – Shaking off a long bus ride to Pennsylvania, The College of New Rochelle volleyball team overcame a sluggish start to earn a 3-1 win over Keystone College in a non-conference match played at Ace Spaulding Arena. The Blue Angels improve to 18-4 on the season, having won 18 of their last 19 matches.
Marissa Armstrong (Scottsdale, AZ/Paradise Valley) tallied a team-high 11 kills to pace the Blue Angel offense. Fabiola Padilla Rios (San Juan, PR/University Gardens) registered nine kills, eight digs, and three aces. Melanie Lopez Soto (Gurabo, PR/Notre Dame) tallied a team-high 14 assists to go along with six kills and eight digs.
Hannah Zuchowski was the focal point of the Keystone (8-10) offense, tallying a match-high 26 kills, more than three times more than any of her teammates.
After dropping the first set, 25-20, CNR rallied back in the second set. After scoring the first point of the set, the Giants regained the lead and held a slim lead until the Blue Angels scored four straight points to turn a 16-13 deficit to a 17-16 lead. Neither team led by more than one point until CNR scored the final two points, with Armstrong securing the final point with a kill, of the set to take a 25-23 win to even the match at 1-1.
The Blue Angels carried the momentum of winning the second set into the third set, running off ten straight points to open the set. CNR did not allow Keystone to draw closer than nine points and Padilla Rios closed the door on the set with a kill to give the Blue Angels a 25-14 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
With the match in the balance, CNR raced out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth set, just the fourth time in 22 matches that the Blue Angels have seen the fourth set in a match. The Giants clawed as close as one, 14-13, but CNR did not allow Keystone to get back in the match, slowly pulling away before putting the Giants away with Armstrong securing the final point of the match with an ace to give CNR a 25-14 win and a 3-1 victory.
The Blue Angels return to the court this weekend, traveling to Union, NJ to participate in the Kean Invitational on Friday and Saturday.