Garden City, N.Y. - Following its season opening matchup with the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, the Adelphi University volleyball team took #19 Gannon to five sets, but ultimately fell twice on Friday on day one of the Opening Roar Tournament.
Game One: #1 Lynn 3, Adelphi 0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-14)
Coming off a 33-3 season with the program's first National Championship- crown, Lynn University came to Garden City with strong momentum - effectively controlling each frame with a team hitting percentage of .375 or better, while holding their opponents to sub-.100 for the match.
The Panthers showed flashes of competitiveness early in the first set, clawing to 10-7, but Lynn gradually pulled away behind efficient attacking and solid serving.
Set two saw Lynn continue to apply pressure, as Adelphi struggled to find consistent offense. Lynn built a commanding lead, and Adelphi was unable to regain traction, dropping the set 25-14.
In the third set, Adelphi made a brief push, but errors and missed opportunities hampered momentum. Lynn maintained control and sealed the match with a 25-14 en route to their first win in 2025.
Madeleine Chaapel led the scoring for the Cats, accounting for 22 kills, while Ana Westerich collected 22 assists in the loss.
Game Two: Adelphi 2, #19 Gannon 3 (25-15, 25-23, 20-25, 22-25, 13-15)
In the Friday nightcap, Adelphi came out with something to prove, but Gannon University rallied from two sets down to claim a 3-2 decision inside the Center for Recreation and Sports.
The Panthers (0-2) opened the match with energy, hitting efficiently and controlling the pace of play. Behind Macarty McQueen's powerful swings and Autumn Moore's serving runs, Adelphi cruised to a 25-15 victory in the first set. The second frame was more tightly contested, but Chaapel and McQueen provided timely kills down the stretch to secure a 25-23 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Momentum shifted in the third set as Gannon (1-1) tightened its block and found more consistency offensively. The Golden Knights built separation midway through the frame and closed it out, 25-20, before edging the Panthers in another close battle, 25-22, to even the match at two sets apiece.
The deciding fifth set featured back-and-forth points, with Adelphi and Gannon trading leads until the final rallies. Despite McQueen continuing to pace the offense, the Knights capitalized on key opportunities late and held on for a narrow 15-13 win.
McQueen finished with a match-high 23 kills, while Chaapel contributed 15 kills and three service aces. Moore turned in an all-around performance with five aces and a team-best 28 digs. Westerich chipped in 47 assists alongside 12 digs for her first double-double of the season.
Adelphi returns to action this weekend on Saturday for a double feature against Belmont Abbey and Post University on Saturday, Sept. 6.
