NEW ROCHELLE, NY — After two matches in the morning at the Florida State College at Jacksonville Tournament, the No. 16 Monroe College women’s volleyball team traveled over to Lake City, Fla., to visit Florida Gateway College in the evening to close out its weekend. The Mustangs came out on top, 3-0, to improve to 10-4 on the year.
The first set was close early on, with the Mustangs hanging on to an 8-7 lead. They then went on to score the next five points, and eventually managed to take a 16-9 advantage. Hanging on to a sizeable lead the rest of the way, the Mustangs pulled off a 25-15 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Monroe found a rhythm early in the second frame, taking a quick 10-4 edge over the Wolves. After Monroe took a 20-11 lead, Florida Gateway took three straight points, but could not get any closer, as the Mustangs pulled away for another 25-15 win to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
The Mustangs took the first five points of the third set, and kept that pace up to take a 17-5 lead later on. Monroe made sure to close out its weekend on a strong note, finishing up the final set with a 25-12 win to cap off the evening.
Keyshla Laureano Perez hit .467 with eight kills and five digs, while Nerealice Quirindongo added seven kills and hit .545. Maria Camila Salazar hit .714 with six kills, and Marissa Hackett had four kills and hit .600 in just one set. Daline Rios dished out 39 assists across three sets while also adding three blocks. Nashally Eleutiza picked up 13 digs, while Cristina Robles had 11 of her own.
The Mustangs have another long road trip ahead of them next weekend when they compete in the Tyler Invitational, hosted by Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, from Thursday, Sept. 28, to Saturday, Sept. 30. The Mustangs will play five matches in Texas, beginning Thursday evening against host Tyler at 6 p.m.