Box Score BRONX, N.Y. – The Lehman College women's volleyball team dropped a non-conference match to Manhattanville in straight sets, in the APEX Main Gym, on Saturday afternoon. Set scores were 25-17, 25-21, and 25-20.
In the first set, Lehman (10-11) jumped out of the gate early, as senior outside hitter
Julia Mercado (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) tallied back-to-back kills to give Lehman a 3-1 lead. The Valiants (12-13) took control for the remainder of the set and won the first stanza, 25-17.
The second set was a wild back-and-forth affair. Senior middle blocker
Cari English (Yonkers, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) registered a service ace to give the home team a 7-6 advantage. After the Valiants tied the set at nine, the Lightning scored the next two points, capped off by a service ace from freshman outside hitter
Lindsay Pantaleon (New York, N.Y./George Washington) to extend Lehman's advantage to 11-9. With Lehman trailing 13-12, English once again came up big, producing a kill to knot the set at 13.
The Valiants scored the next two points to build a narrow 15-13 lead, but the Lightning came storming back by scoring the next three points, highlighted by two more kills from English, to take a 16-15 lead. She also registered a service ace to increase Lehman's advantage to 18-16. Manhattanville rallied to take a 24-20 lead to force a set point. Mercado produced a kill to keep the set alive but the Valiants clinched the second set victory on the next play.
In the third set, Lehman fell behind, 5-1, but would make another rally to tie the match at five, thanks to back-to-back kills by English and Mercado, plus a service ace by junior setter
Imani Dubois (West Palm Beach, Fla./J.P. Taravella). Manhattanville pulled ahead to take a 22-14 lead, but once again Lehman went on a run, this time scoring the next six points, highlighted by five kills from English, to narrow the deficit to 22-20. The Valiants scored the next three points to clinch the set and the match.
English and Mercado each had double-doubles, with English tallying a match-high 17 kills and added 14 digs, while Mercado slammed home 12 kills and produced 17 digs. Freshman
Lizette Medina (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) helped anchor the defense by also producing 17 digs and added four assists to help the offense. Dubois also helped out the Lightning's strong defensive effort with 13 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist
Jona Kerluku (Ozone Park, N.Y./Construction Trade) also reached double figures in digs with 12. Pantaleon chipped in with eight digs and produced two service aces.
The Lightning will be back in action on Wednesday, October 22, for a non-conference match at St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn, at 7:00 p.m.
