Sept. 6, 2011

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - Playing without several key players the Lehman women's volleyball team dropped its season opener on Tuesday night, falling in four sets (25-21, 25-8, 18-25, 25-21) to visiting St. Joseph's College (LI) on its Bronx campus.

Following a sluggish first two sets, the Lightning rebounded to play its best stretch of volleyball in the third.

With junior Racine Brown at the service line the Lightning broke open a 4-4 game by running off seven straight points to take an 11-4 lead. A kill by the Eagles' Nicole Redding temporarily halted Lehman's run before the home team stretched its lead to 10 points, highlighted by two service aces by freshman Jo-Marie Aquino. St. Joseph's would eventually pull to within 21-15 before the Lightning closed out its lone set victory, 25-18.

Lehman grabbed the first point of the fourth set, but it would turn out to be its final lead of the match as the Eagles held off a valiant Lightning comeback attempt that saw the score narrow to 23-21.

In the loss senior Gerri-Ann Martin notched seven kills to lead the team while Jennifer Winkler and Shari Quiles each added five.

For the Eagles, sophomore April Bennett recorded a game-high 11 kills.

Lehman returns to action on Thursday when it visits the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy-Kings Point.