NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In its first home match in nearly two weeks, the Monroe College women’s volleyball team defeated Suffolk County Community College, 3-0, Tuesday evening at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 13-7 on the year with the win, while the Sharks drop to 2-7.
The Mustangs controlled the first set early on, running out to an 8-1 lead before the Sharks could end the rally. Monroe kept a steady pace to reach a 20-7 advantage, but the Sharks turned things around and won the next four points. The Mustangs took control back from the Sharks, winning the next four to force set point and eventually earning a 25-13 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The second set was close to start, but the Mustangs found a rhythm to turn a 10-5 lead into a 15-6 advantage. They later led 19-8 before going on a 6-1 run to close out the second game with a 25-9 victory.
Monroe jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the third frame, pushing it to 8-3 before long. Monroe then ripped off seven straight points to claim a 12-point advantage, and later pushed the deficit to 15 points at 22-7. Anyela Aquino closed out the match for the Mustangs with back-to-back aces for a 22-9 win and a three-set victory.
Maria Camila Salazar put in a strong night, hitting .462 with a team-high eight kills. Kyra Kaloi hit .364 with five kills and three blocks. Nerealice Quirindongo, Karla Figueroa and Brianna Chin each matched Kaloi with five kills, and Figueroa finished the night with a 1.000 hitting percentage across two sets. Alexis Baer dished out 18 assists, while Daline Rios helped out with 13 of her own. Baer also added four aces on the night.
The Mustangs remain at home to take on Queensborough Community College on Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The match is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.