Volleyball Defeats Dean, Falls to Emmanuel During Regular Season Finale

BOSTON -  Thee University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team closed out the 2024 season by splitting a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) road tri-match inside the Jean Yawkey Center on the campus of Emmanuel College (EC) in Boston, Mass., Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays first defeated Dean College (Dean), 3-0, to begin the day, before falling to the host Saints, 3-0. With the results, the Blue Jays finished the year at 4-21 overall and 4-11 in the GNAC, while Dean, who also fell to EC, finished the regular season at 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the GNAC, and EC moved to 21-7 overall and 11-4 in the conference.

USJ 3, DEAN 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-18)

• The Blue Jays took a commanding lead to open the first set, 8-3, after winners from sophomore outside hitters Shaye Harris (Prosepct, Conn.) and Karla Flores (Oakdale, Conn.), senior outside hitter Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.) and freshman outside hitter Lorynes Suriel (Lynn, Mass.)
• Dean would close the gap to four, but a 7-1 stretch, fueled by an ace and a kill from Harris, extended the USJ edge to 10, 19-9.
• The Bulldogs could not mount a late comeback, as sophomore middle blocker Vivian Pawloski (Wallingford, Conn.) rounded out the set with a kill and a service ace, winning the opener for USJ, 25-14.
• Dean would take a quick 5-2 edge in the second set, but USJ responded with an 8-1 run, featuring a pair of kills from Suriel, to break open a 10-6 edge.
• The Bulldogs battled back, tying the set at 14-14 and forcing a Blue Jays timeout.
• The two sides continued to trade points back-and-forth, until a winner from Harris and a costly Dean error secured the second set for USJ, 25-21.
• The third set started evenly, as the Blue Jays held a slim 10-9 edge.
• However, USJ began to pull away, as a 7-0 run, featuring three kills from Harris and a pair of service aces by freshman setter Gabi Wanner (Southington, Conn.) extended the Blue Jays' lead to 21-11.
• Dean again fought back, closing the gap to 22-18, but winners from sophomore middle blocker Sofia Weiss (Babylon, N.Y.), freshman outside hitter Ericka Pryz (Amityville, N.Y.) and senior libero Fernana Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) secured the set for USJ, 25-18, and the match, 3-0.
• Harris paced the team with 15 kills.
• Wanner dished out 33 assists.
• Ayala Rodriguez notched 15 digs.

EC 3, USJ 0 (25-14, 25-17, 26-24)

• USJ grabbed an early 6-5 edge after a service ace from Ayala Rodriguez, but EC responded with a 7-0 run, taking a 12-6 lead.
• The Blue Jays fired back with a 7-2 stretch, capped off by an ace from junior outside hitter Tatianah Ziegler (Troy, N.Y.) to pull the visitors back within one, 14-13.
• However, the Saints would dominate the rest of the way, taking the first set, 25-14.
• After falling behind early, 10-4, the Blue Jays utilized a 5-0 run, fueled by three kills from Harris, to close the gap to one, 10-9.
• EC though would again not let USJ to get any closer, pulling away to win the second set, 25-17, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• The third and ultimately final set was a back-and-forth contest the entire way, as neither team would pull away.
• With the score tied late, EC would hold off USJ to win the set, 26-24, and the match, 3-0.
• Harris and Heaney topped the team with eight kills, each.
• Wanenr dished out 20 assists.
• Ayala Rodriguez notched 16 digs.

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