Split Decision For Volleyball at Skyline Tri-Match
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Joseph's (L.I.) (13-7, 5-0 Skyline) | 12 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 3 |
|
Mt. St. Vincent (10-12, 3-2 Skyline) | 25 | 12 | 16 | 25 | 10 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Joseph's (L.I.) (13-8, 5-1 Skyline) | 10 | 20 | 26 | 26 | 7 | 2 |
|
Sage (21-4, 7-0 Skyline) | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 3 |
Troy, N.Y. — After ten sets of neck-and-neck play, the Golden Eagles (13-8, 5-1 Skyline) returned home from a Skyline Conference tri-match Saturday with a well earned win over the Mt. St. Vincent Dolphins (10-12, 3-2 Skyline) and a heartbreaking loss to the Sage Gators (21-4, 7-0 Skyline). The Golden Eagles beat Sage last year to win the Skyline Conference championship after falling to the Gators in their regular season contest.
After losing the first set of their match against the Dolphins 25-12, the Golden Eagles answered strongly with consecutive 25-12 and 25-16 wins. Fighting to stay alive, CMSV dug deep in the fourth set, ultimately winning by two and forcing a fifth. The Eagles were victorious, taking the final set 15-10 and subsequently the match.
Heather Ferchland (Selden, N.Y./ Centereach) was truly a force at the net with 18 kills. Julianne Tierney (Bethpage, N.Y./ Bethpage) logged ten digs in addition to her impressive 31 assists.
The Golden Eagles' second match of the day proved to be as exciting as expected as the two finalists of last season's Skyline championship faced off. With an ax to grind, Sage came out strong, winning the first two sets 25-10 and 25-20.
Refusing to let the match end in three sets, the Eagles battled for each point to win the third set 26-24. In the fourth set, SJC's poise and experience were evident as they came back from the brink of defeat. With the score 23-17 and Sage only two points away from winning the set and the match, a kill by Ferchland, assisted by Tierney, gave the Eagles possession and the opportunity to remain in the game. With Courtney Wickline (Medford, N.Y./ Bellport) serving, the SJC went on an incredible seven-point run to achieve a 24-23 lead. Interrupted briefly by a Sage kill that tied the game at 24, the Eagles responded with two more kills to end the set 26-24 and force a fifth set.
Fired up, the Golden Eagles took a quick 3-0 lead in the fifth set, but the home team quickly caught up, eventually surpassing SJC, winning the set 15-7 and with it the match.
Although the rivalry contest didn't end in the Eagles' favor this go-round, their performance was stellar. Notably, Ferchland slammed down 22 kills, Tierney had 33 assists and 17 digs while Erin Kelly (Ridge, N.Y./ Longwood) defended the back line with 26 digs.
The Golden Eagles will hit the road Wednesday for a match against the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy at 7 p.m.
