Eagles Grounded by Colonels and Valiants on Saturday

Patchogue, N.Y. – Following Friday night's emotional comeback victory against Ramapo, the Golden Eagles (13-11) fell to the Wilkes University Colonels (15-9) and the Manhattanville Valiants (16-13). Manhattanville finished the St. Joseph's College Tournament 3-1, losing only to Wilkes. Wilkes managed to go 4-0 without losing a single set.

Despite the Colonels outstanding record, the Lady Eagles put up a fight. Game one was a back-and-forth battle. St. Joseph's led several times throughout the set. The game was tied up at 24 but the Eagles could not prevail. Wilkes scored the next two points to win the set. The Lady Eagles were competitive again in the second game. They were down by as many as four points but battled their way back to take a 23-22 lead. Once again, the Eagles couldn't close out the game. Three straight points by the Colonels gave them a 25-23 win. St. Joseph's got off to an early start in the third set. They led 10-7 before the game slipped out of their hands. The game was tied at 12 when Wilkes went on a 9-0 run. The Eagles tried to fight their way back and managed to get within four but it was too late as the Colonels finished them off.

The St. Joseph's Golden Eagles hoped to bounce back against Manhattanville but the fight against Wilkes seemed to tire out the Eagle's wings. The Valiants took the first game 25-16 and the second game 25-20. The Golden Eagles were not ready to go down without a fight. They dominated the third game jumping out to a 19-9 lead. St. Joseph's got their first set win of the day with a 25-16 victory. The Eagles were looking to send the match to a deciding fifth set. Manhattanville maintained a lead throughout most of the game but the Lady Eagles stayed within striking distance. They finally grabbed the lead 24-23. After a kill by the Valiants to tie the game, two attack errors were the Eagles downfall.

Despite the two competitive losses, several Lady Eagles had outstanding days. Julianne Tierney (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) had 56 assists in the two games. Samantha Jacoby (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) finished with 27 digs while Taylor Ahmed (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem North) added 20 digs.

St. Joseph's plays at Farmingdale State on Wednesday.