Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University volleyball team welcomed the Falcons of Bentley University into the Center for Recreation and Sports on Saturday afternoon for an NE-10 contest. Leading 2-0, the Panthers were unable to secure a third set, and the Falcons completed a 3-2 comeback win (20-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-12).
Adelphi (13-12, 10-3 NE-10) was led by four players in double figures. Leading the way was
Haley Blunt, who recorded her second straight double-double with 14 kills and 31 digs.
Mandy Stanislovaitis and
Shelby Stoner both posted 13 kills, while Stanslovaitis also tallied a double-double with 18 digs.
Kaitlyn DeStefano added 11 kills and nine total blocks.
Megan Manierski paced the offense with 44 assists, while
Sierra Crook also added 23 digs. Bentley (15-9, 10-2 NE-10) was led by 19 kills from Tatiana Froehlich, and 12 kills from Lauren Van Buren.
The Panthers started off strong in the opening set, ripping off five straight points to turn a 4-4 tie into a 9-4 advantage. The Panthers stayed ahead for the duration, but Bentley got to within four at 11-7 behind back-to-back kills from Jaci Buscher. In what had been a close set, the Panthers took six of the next seven points to pull away and move ahead 17-8.
Adelphi cracked 20 points behind a kill from Stoner, and got to set point at 24-17 when DeStefano blocked back a Simone Silvera attempt. The Falcons claimed the next three points to pull closer, but a kill from DeStefano following an Adelphi timeout gave the Panthers the first set, 25-20.
To start the second, the Panthers and Falcons went point-for-point as the set featured six ties early. DeStefano and Breidenbach blocked back a Buscher offering to put Adelphi ahead 15-12, and the Falcons never managed to tie the score again. Adelphi took a four point, 22-18 lead behind a Stoner finisher, and eventually claimed an identical 2nd set, 25-20.
Bentley sprinted out to a 6-1 lead in the third frame behind four kills, forcing Adelphi to use a timeout early. The Falcons' lead grew to six at 9-3, and Adelphi chipped away from there, pulling to within one at 10-9, 12-11 and 13-12. From there, the Panthers' offense sputtered, and three consecutive attack errors put Adelphi back in a six-point hole at 18-12. The Panthers continued to trail by six as late as 21-15, and the Falcons used this cushion to claim a 25-19 third set win.
Bentley again opened up a 6-1 lead in the fourth game, forcing Adelphi to call timeout at the start. The visitors' lead eventually expanded to 12 points at 16-4 and Adelphi would get no closer than six, falling 25-16.
Bentley took an early 3-0 lead in the fifth, before Adelphi rallied to take a slim one-point lead at 5-4. At the change of sides, Bentley led 8-6 and continued to hold a lead at 10-7. The Panthers rallied to tie the game at 10-10, and take a lead at 11-10 behind a Blunt kill, but the visitors would not be denied the comeback, completing the win at 15-12.
The Panthers return to action on Tuesday, November 4 when they host the Purple Knights of the University of Bridgeport and celebrate senior day.
