Volleyball Tripped Up By Cross-Town Foe Trinity Tuesday Night

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team battled, but fell at home to local foes Trinity College (Trinity), 3-1, Friday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays drop to 0-4 on the season while the Bantams move to 1-0.

KEY MOMENTS 

• After the Blue Jays began the opening set on a 4-1 run, capped off by two Trinity errors, the Bantams stormed back to tie the set at 5-5.
• The Bantams continued their momentum, taking the lead after a 9-0 stretch saw the Bantams take a 14-5 lead.
• USJ would not go down easy, as back-to-back service aces from graduate student setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) clawed the Blue Jays back within four, 17-13.
• However, USJ would not get any closer as Trinity took the opening set, 25-19.
• The second set began as a back-and-forth affair, with USJ jumping out to a 6-3 edge falling a kill from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.).
• Trinity though continued to look to tie the match, forcing USJ to call a timeout after playing out a 12-12 tie.
• After another USJ timeout with the Blue Jays leading 19-18, USJ looked to capitalize on the break in play, with freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.) getting USJ within two points of a set victory, 23-20.
• The Bantams looked to make a late comeback, pulling back within one, 23-22, but two costly errors secured set two for USJ, 25-22, and brought the match to a 1-1 deadlock.
• Set three was another close contest, as both teams played out a 7-7 tie.
• The Bantams utilized a 7-1 stretch to begin to pull away, but a Carey Kill kept the Blue Jays within three, 14-11.
• However, Trinity took back the momentum, ending the set on an 11-1 stretch, to take the set, 25-12, and a 2-1 edge in the match.
• The Bantams looked to carry the momentum over into the fourth set, jumping out to a quick 7-3 lead.
• Back-to-back kills from Carey and Harris pulled USJ within two, 7-5, but an 11-4 Bantams run saw the visitors establish a nine-point lead, 18-9.
• Trinity looked to secure the win, getting within set point, but the Blue Jays would not go away easy, taking advantage of excellent serving from senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) to pull cut the gap to 24-19.
• However, Trinity would secure the final point, winning the third set, 25-19, and the match, 3-1.

NOTES 

• Carey paced the team with 10 kills.
• Junior outside hitter Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.) had a solid outing, racking up seven kills.
• Albert and sophomore setter Alexandra Long (East Hartford, Conn.) paced the Blue Jays with nine assists each.
• Ayala Rodriguez topped the team with 16 digs.
• The Bantams outhit the Blue Jays, .145 percent to .027 percent.
• With the result, Trinity increased its unbeaten streak against USJ to 23 matches, taking a 23-0 edge in the all-time series.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays head back on the road, traveling to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the Vassar Quad matches, beginning Friday, September 8 against hosts Vassar College. First serve against the Brewers is set for 5:00 p.m. inside Kenyon Hall.

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