Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University volleyball team returned to .500 with a, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-15) sweep of the University of Bridgeport in their 2016 home opener on Tuesday, September 27. The Panthers overall record now stands at 7-7, while the Purple Knights slip to 3-6.

Amanda Borges led the Brown and Gold with a team-high 15 kills and added nine digs, just missing a double-double. Melissa Rigo continued her strong play with nine kills and eight digs, while Sierra Crook led all players with a game-high 14 digs. Megan Manierski was credited with 35 set assists and Madison Canestrari had a team high five total blocks, including the only solo effort of the game.

The opening half of the first set was back and forth, when a Bridgeport kill from Bruna Santos knotted the action at 11. However, an Adelphi 5-0 spurt gave the Panthers firm control of the game, 16-11 and the Purple Knights would get no closer then four points the rest of the set, losing 25-19. 

The Brown and Gold rolled that momentum into the second game, with Maneriski serving Adelphi to a 6-0 lead that Bridgeport would never recover from. Rigo picked up two of her nine kills on the evening during that 6-0 opening run. Adelphi took nine point leads twice during the set at 21-12, on a Mandy Stanislovaitis service ace and then again at 24-15 on a Purple Knight service error, finally closing out the set on another Rigo effort., 25-15.

Bridgeport kept the third set close, trailing by just four points, 14-10, after a Sheri Middleton kill. However, the Panthers earned eight of the next 10 points, closing out the run with a Katarina Warburton service ace, to wrangle control of the set and the match from the Purple Knights, 22-12. The Panthers closed out the set on a Katie Barry service ace, cruising to a 25-15 set win and a 3-0 match victory.

Up Next
Adelphi remains comfortable in the Center for Recreation and Sports this weekend, when they welcome the College of Saint Rose onto campus for a 3:00 pm contest on October 1. 

Notes:
- Amanda Borges' 15 total kills in the win, set a new career-high, besting the 13 kills she was credited with in last weeks victory over Molloy (9/20/16).
- Melissa Rigo currently leads the Northeast-10 in kills per set (4.27) and total kills (218).


 

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About Adelphi Athletics:
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009 and in the past seven seasons, has collected 18 regular season conference titles, 22 tournament championships, 29 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup three times (2013, 2014, and 2016), while winning five NCAA Division II National Championships.

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