Volleyball Falls in Five-Set Thriller to Norwich Tuesday Night

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker to the visiting Norwich University (Norwich) Cadets during Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, 3-2, Tuesday night inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays fall to 0-11 on the season and 0-2 in GNAC play, while the Cadets move to 3-5 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

KEY MOMENTS 

• USJ opened the first set red hot, exploding out to a 12-3 lead after stellar serving from sophomore setter Alexandra Long (East Hartford, Conn.).
• Norwich ended the streak with a point, but a 3-0 Blue Jays' stretch, featuring kills from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.), junior outside hitter Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.) and freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.), increased the lead to 15-4 and forced a Norwich timeout.
• The Cadets scored back-to-back points out of the timeout, but USJ responded with a 7-1 run, capped off by a service ace from graduate student setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Con.) to increase the lead to 22-7.
• Norwich attempted a last-minute comeback, but the gap was too much as USJ took the opening set, 25-13.
• The Cadets took the momentum early in the second set, jumping out to a 9-4 edge.
• USJ pulled back within two, 11-9, after a kill from Carey, but a 6-2 stretch saw the Cadets open up a 17-11 advantage.
• Norwich extended the gap to 21-13, but USJ fought back within three, 21-18, after a 5-0 stretch fueled by service aces from senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico).
• However, the run would not be enough as the Cadets held on to take the second set, 25-20, and tie the match at 1-1.
• The Blue Jays responded with a bang in the third set, easily winning the set, 25-7, after receiving three kills from senior middle blocker Victoria Isokpehi (Lagos, Nigeria), and Harris, while getting two kills each from Carey, Heaney and Albert.
• Norwich fought back to begin the fourth set, establishing a quick 11-3 lead.
• USJ clawed back though, using a 4-0 edge that featured a kill from Isokpehi and a Long ace to force Norwich to call a timeout leading 14-9.
• The Cadets jumped back out to a five-point lead, 17-12, but costly errors cut the gap back to three, 17-14.
• The errors would not set the Cadets back though, as the visitors won the fourth set, 25-17, to force a match-deciding fifth set.
• Norwich grabbed the early momentum to begin the set, taking a quick 6-1 lead.
• USJ bounced back, using a 3-0 stretch capped off by a Heaney kill to pull back within two, 6-4.
• Norwich would get within match point, 14-8, but the Blue Jays came alive, exploding for a 5-0 stretch to get back within one, 14-13.
• However, the Cadets scored the final two points, winning the set, 16-14, and escaping with a 3-2 victory.

NOTES 

• Harris paced the USJ offense with 14 kills.
• Long dished out a season-high 39 assists.
• Ayala Rodriguez recorded a team-high 23 digs.
• Isokpehi was a force at the net, tallying three block assists.
• With the result, the Cadets increased their winning streak to six straight matches, taking a 14-3 edge in the all-time series.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays continue its five-match homestand, welcoming Dean College and Emmanuel College to West Hartford for a GNAC tri-match on Saturday, September 23. First serve against the Bulldogs in game one of the day is set for 11:00 a.m. inside James A. Calhoun Gymnasium.

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