Volleyball Drops GNAC Road Match at Elms Wednesday Night

CHICOPEE, Mass. -  The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team fell on the road at Elms College (Elms) during a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match, 3-0, Wednesday night inside Picknelly Arena in Chicopee, Mass. With the result, the Blue Jays moved to 1-9 overall and 1-2 in the GNAC while the Blazers move to 1-11 on the year and 1-2 in the conference.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The hosts grabbed a quick lead to start the match, holding a 10-4 edge.
• USJ would fight back, pulling within two, 13-11, after back-to-back kills from freshman outside hitter Lorynes Suriel (Lynn, Mass.).
• The Blue Jays continued to claw back, eventually taking the lead in the set, 18-17, after three consecutive errors by the Blazers.
• However, Elms would regain the lead late, holding off the Blue Jays to secure the opening set, 25-23.
• Elms grabbed another early lead in set two, jumping out to a 10-5 advantage.
• USJ again would not go away easily, utilizing a service ace from freshman defensive specialist Alyssa Dugas (Newington, Conn.) to close the deficit to one, 13-12.
• However, the Blue Jays would not get any closer, as the host Blazers won the second set, 25-17, increasing the gap in the match to 2-0.
• The third set featured a back-and-forth opening that saw Elms hold a slim 12-10 lead after USJ received a winner from junior outside hitter Tatianah Ziegler (Troy, N.Y.).
• Elms though would dominate the remainder of the set, taking the victory, 25-13, and the match, 3-0.

NOTES 

• Suriel paced the offense with 10 kills.
• Freshman setter Gabi Wanner (Southington, Conn.) dished out 16 assists.
• Senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) tallied a team-high 15 digs.
• Dugas racked up two service aces on the night.
• The Blue Jays were limited to a .020 hitting percentage, compared to the Blazers .239 percent mark.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays continue a three-game road trip with a stop at Rivier University in Nashua, N.H., for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match on Saturday, September 28. The Blue Jays will first play Colby-Sawyer College inside the Muldoon Center at 1:00 p.m. before facing the host Raiders at 3:00 p.m.

FOLLOW
For the latest on University of Saint Joseph Athletics, follow the Blue Jays on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Fans can also download the USJ Front Row Mobile App and subscribe to our Newsletter and Text Alerts. #FearTheFlock #GoBlueJays