NEW HAVEN, Connecticut - The American International College women's volleyball team participated in a non-conference tri-match with Southern Connecticut State University and Wilmington University on Sunday, October 10. The Yellow Jackets knocked off host SCSU 3-1, then swept Wilmington to extend their winning streak to six.
FAST FACTS:
Match 1:
Final Score: AIC 3, SCSU 1
Set Scores: 26-28, 25-16, 25-16, 25-14
Records: AIC improves to 12-6 (4-2 NE10); SCSU falls to 14-5 (3-1 NE10)
Match 2:
Final Score: AIC 3, Wilmington 0
Set Scores: 25-20, 25-11, 25-18
Records: AIC improves to 13-6 (4-2 NE10); Wilmington falls to 10-8 (6-1 CACC)
Location: Pelz Gym New Haven, Connecticut
KEY STATS:
Match 1
AIC:
Andrea Serra-Rosa: 32 kills, .386 hitting percentage, 18 digs, 32.5 points
Ulrika Blomgren: 15 kills, .483 hitting percentage, nine digs, 17 points
Mai-Lani Hernandez: 10 kills, .529 hitting percentage, six digs
Paola Soto-Burgos: eight kills, 20 digs
Naomi Eckert-Rivera: 57 assists, 16 digs
Amanda Rodriguez: 14 digs, five assists
SCSU:
Gabriela Gaibur: 16 kills, five digs
Abigail Epstein: 10 kills, four digs
Taylor Jones: 36 assists, 12 digs
Krishnalei So'oto: 17 digs
Match 2
AIC:
Andrea Serra-Rosa: 15 kills, .316 hitting percentage, 14 digs, two aces, two blocks
Ulrika Blomgren: 13 kills, nine digs
Paola Soto-Burgos: nine kills, .350 hitting percentage, eight digs
Naomi Eckert-Rivera: 41 assists, 12 digs
Amanda Rodriguez: 17 digs, six assists
Wilmington:
Angel Oliver: eight kills,
Mandy Behiels: seven kills, nine digs
Heather Pedrick: five kills, 13 assists, 13 digs, two blocks
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Match 1:
- The Yellow Jackets trailed 17-13 when rookie outside hitter Ulrika Blomgren started a 3-0 run which included kills by reigning Northeast-10 Player of the Year graduate outside hitter Andrea Serra-Rosa and sophomore setter Naomi Eckert-Rivera.
- AIC trailed 23-22 when Blomgren notched back-to-back kills to give the Yellow Jackets set point. Unfortunately, the Owls took four of the next five points to take the first set 28-26.
- Knotted at six in the second frame, sophomore middle block Mai-Lani Hernandez started a run for AIC. Eckert-Rivera found Serra-Rosa for five kills in the 7-0 run that gave AIC the 13-6 lead.
- The Owls trailed by 10 when they made a late push to stay in the set, but the Yellow Jackets went on a 5-1 run to take the set 25-16.
- AIC came out rolling in the third set as Serra-Rosa opened things up with consecutive kills while junior middle blocker Ada Guilera Martinez and Blomgren each had a kill to give AIC the 4-1 lead.
- The Yellow Jackets created some distance from the Owls as AIC led 15-13. In the 8-0 run Serra-Rosa and Hernandez each had three kills while Blomgren recorded an ace. AIC took the set 25-16.
- AIC led 6-5 in the fourth when they went on a 10-1 run before taking the set 25-14.
Match 2:
- AIC led 16-14 in the opening frame when they went on a 5-1 run that included a kill and ace from rookie outside hitter Paola Soto-Burgos and a pair of kills by Blomgren. The Wildcats clawed their way back to make it 24-20, but Eckert-Rivera crushed their hopes with a kill.
- Wilmington tried to gain momentum early in the second with a 3-0 run, but Soto-Burgos put the breaks on the Wildcats as she started a 7-0 run for her team. AIC led 9-7 when Hernandez decided to start an AIC 11-2 burst that extended the AIC lead to double digits. They did not slow down as AIC took the final six points of the set.
- Leading 16-15 in the third, the Yellow Jackets started to turn up the pace as they forced five consecutive Wildcat errors. Serra-Rosa called match as she sent a cross-court rocket across to end the game 25-18.
NEXT UP:
- The Yellow Jackets return home on Tuesday, October 12 when they host the University of Bridgeport for a 7 p.m. first serve.
