CLARION, Pennsylvania – The American International College women's volleyball team split the second day at Clarion University's Tony Banner Invitational, falling to Shippensburg University 22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 16-25 before rebounding to sweep Roberts Wesleyan University 25-15, 25-6, 25-18 on Saturday, September 6.
AIC is now 2-2 on the season.
Against the Raiders, AIC's defense was able to frustrate the opposition at times, recording five blocks as a team as part of 14 errors by Shippensburg. However, the offense for AIC did not produce, with just eight kills, and the Raiders finished the set with three straight Elise Bragg kills after AIC took a 22-21 lead.
In the second, it was the Raiders with five blocks, and AIC hit just .065. However, the Yellow Jackets were able to flip the score thanks to incredible work on both sides of serve receive. Janelys Perez Cortes and Renata Mijovic each landed two of AIC's six aces in the set, with no service errors, while the defense, led by seven receptions on the part of Claudia Flores Marrero, went a perfect 18-for-18 in returns. Perla Rosa also contributed eight digs, and fittingly the Yellow Jackets notched set point on a failed serve by the Raiders.
Both teams increased their offensive outputs in the third, and the Raiders spread the offense well, with four different players recording three or more kills and no one with more than one attack error as they took the third set 25-18, and Bragg finished it off with six kills on 11 swings in the final set as the Raiders were able to pull away to win the fourth 25-16 and take the match.
AIC had to once again rebound from a morning loss, and they more than adequately took their frustrations out on the Redhawks, the lone East Region opponent the Yellow Jackets faced at the tournament. It started with Carissa Michel landing six kills on just eight swings in a highly offensive-minded first set; the Redhawks managed 12 kills, but AIC put up 13 and hit .423 total which, along with three blocks and two aces, was enough to win the first.
The second set was a walkover; the Yellow Jackets scored 22 of the first 24 points, including five aces off the hand of Lajla Rasljanin, three of which were consecutive. AIC committed no attack errors in the set, with Chelsea Foulis leading the offense on four kills and AIC had a quick 2-0 lead with a 25-6 romp.
The Redhawks pushed back somewhat in the third, but AIC was in command. Three blocks and three aces – including a pair from Zorybeth Febres – allowed AIC to pull away and win the set 25-18, and take the match with it.
Daniella Russo-Lolas led AIC with 42 assists in the seven sets, while Rosa notched 29 digs.
AIC will have some time off ahead of the International Volleyball Hall of Fame East Region Clash, set to take place at the Butova Gymnasium on September 19-20. AIC will face the University of Bridgeport and Molloy University the first day, and Bentley University in the finale.
