IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata women's volleyball won one of two matches on Friday evening, sweeping the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders before falling in four sets to the York College Spartans.
The Mighty Macs are 4-12 for the season. Their first AEC game will be on Saturday, Oct. 11 versus Saint Elizabeth.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST RUTGERS-NEWARK
- The Mighty Macs got on the board with three of the first four points. The opening set was fairly matched until the Scarlet Raiders took a 14-10 lead off a 5-0 run. A 6-0 answer from Immaculata, courtesy of multiple Rutgers-Newark attack errors, kept the Mighty Macs on top. Although the Scarlet Raiders tied the set 24-24 to force a set "overtime," more Rutgers-Newark errors and an Eliana Szatkowski kill ended the set 27-25.
- Immaculata began the second set with their offense in rhythm, as they logged kills from Mia Esposito, Calissa Araujo, and Antonia Antolini. A 5-0 push in the middle of the set gave the Mighty Macs a 16-8 advantage. Immaculata kept their distance for the remainder of the set, as they grabbed a 25-19 win.
- Rutgers-Newark fought back as the third set opened. A variety of Mighty Macs contributed in an 8-1 outburst, which gave the home team a 14-10 advantage. Although the Scarlet Raiders scored three straight when Immaculata had match point, an Esposito kill concluded the match. Set three was an Immaculata 25-18 win, and the Mighty Macs swept the Scarlet Raiders.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS VS. RUTGERS-NEWARK
- Esposito had a team-high 14 kills.
- Angelica Santini Bulerin's 32 assists led the Mighty Macs' offense. She also added a team-best three aces.
- Adriana Ventura was first for Immaculata with 14 digs. Santini Bulerin was right behind with 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST YORK (Pa.)
- Despite the Spartans taking an early lead, a Mighty Macs 8-1 rally allowed them to go up 12-7. With York leading 20-18, neither team gained an edge, as each side scored two before the other scored two. Three consecutive visitors' points gave the Spartans a 25-22 set one victory.
- A tight battle in the opening moments of set two eventually gave way to multiple York points. Similar to the first set, each side had a sequence of scoring two points before the other side copied. A quick three Immaculata points, courtesy of kills by Damani Myers and Esposito, put the Mighty Macs in the lead 22-20. The two sides would tie at 24, forcing a set "overtime." Although the Spartans scored next, the Mighty Macs ended the set with three consecutive points. Immaculata took set two 27-25.
- The Mighty Macs tied the third set 7-7, but a 5-0 push from York provided them an advantage. A few back-and-forth points segued to four straight scores by Immaculata. However, an 11-1 explosion from the Spartans was enough for a 25-14 win.
- Multiple Mighty Macs registered kills as the fourth set was underway. Even with a 6-3 lead, the Spartans used an 11-2 run to take a six-point lead. Araujo saw three kills in the fourth set. However, a Spartans kill ended the night with a 25-19 final. York won 3-1.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS VS. YORK (Pa.)
- Against York, Esposito matched her kills total (14) from the Rutgers-Newark match.
- Santini Bulerin tallied 31 assists.
- Ventura and Szatkowski tied for two aces each.
- Ventura and Myers each logged seven digs.
UP NEXT
The Mighty Macs are right back in action tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. They will host the Saint Elizabeth University Eagles for their first match in conference play.
