Garden City, N.Y. - A full weekend of matches started on a high note for the Adelphi University volleyball team on Friday, as the host Panthers kicked off their two-day, five-team tournament with a four-set win over Wilmington (Del.) University.

Friday's match marked the Panthers' (4-3) third straight win of the season, all of which have been at home in the last nine days, as well as their DezyStrong charity game. The DezyStrong Foundation, founded in 2019, was established to provide the opportunity for individuals with cancer to have access to experiences that directly affect a positive mental wellbeing. The Panthers' match was the second of four scheduled in the CRS for Friday, and the CRS will play host to eight total matches between the teams over the next two days.

Adelphi was led to victory by 15 kills from Delaney Kiendra, a season best, and she was one of three Panthers with more than 10 kills. Samantha Meehan finished with 14 for her first double-digit total of the season, and Lilyen McCarthy clocked 10. Kambel Fiser paced the offense with 31 assists, while Brenna Valsted added 17.

Meehan also notched a double-double behind 12 digs, while Jamie Yonker (22) and Jaydin Nowak (18) combined for 40 in the back row. The WIldcats (5-3) got 14 kills of their 44 kills from freshman outside hitter Cailyn Smiley. 

Adelphi fell a set behind despite leading 11-8 in the opener, as Wilmington won six straight points to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point lead. Wilmington hit a match-high, for either club, .205 in the first set, but three Adelphi miscues were what decided the set. The two teams went similarly tit-for-tat across all four sets, but the home team ultimately came up with all the answers in all three sets it won in the come-from-behind win.

Adelphi won nine of the last 13 points in set two, a run sparked by McCarthy and Meehan kills and a Katie Brokes ace; came from 5-0 behind to win set three, winning the last six points (on five kills); and trailed by as much as five (18-13), and as late as 23-21, to finish the match off. 

The Panthers are back in action in the CRS for a double dip on Saturday, the final day of the two-day tournament; first, they'll take on the Quincy University Hawks at 10 a.m., before they hit the floor again for a regional tilt against the Daemen University Wildcats at 2:30 p.m.

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About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally- and nationally-competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 17 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Adelphi student-athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi University Department of Athletics is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success, where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at AUPanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping for official Adelphi Panthers gear at our licensed team store.