Volleyball Caps Cancer Awareness Week With Straight-Set Win Over John Jay

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's volleyball team capped a successful week of Cancer Awareness Games, sweeping John Jay College, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-15) on Friday evening at Brooklyn Technical High School.

The Lady Bears (9-3, 2-0 HVWAC) landed 11 service aces as part of their "Serving for a Cure" campaign, boosting their total to 31 for the three-match week.

St. Joseph's produced a balanced attack led by Megan Moran (Syosset, NY/St. Dominic's) who took home match-high honors with 11 kills. Freshman Lauren GaNun (Breezy Point, NY/Fontbonne Hall) posted 10 kills against no errors for a .625 hitting percentage, to go along with five aces and two blocks, both match highs.

Senior Kim Matthews (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) chipped in nine kills and brought up seven digs to share team-high honors with Nicole Rios (Astoria, NY/Mary Louis). Junior Sabrina Cornia (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place HS) handed out 29 assists.

John Jay (1-14, 1-6 CUNYAC) was led by junior Martina Hot who amassed nine kills and seven digs, both team highs. Sophomore Katherine Bonilla dished 17 assists.

GaNun served four aces and Matthews put away four kills to pace the Lady Bears to a wire-to-wire opening set victory.  The visitors remained within reach throughout the set, but couldn't manage to cut the deficit under three.

The second stanza was highly contested throughout the early parts until St. Joseph's went on a 4-0 run at the 12-12 mark and never trailed again. The middle hitter duo of GaNun and Moran combined for 10 of the 11 Lady Bears kills in the set hitting at a .563 rate.

The finale saw the Lady Bears produce a match-high 13 kills, powered by Matthews who had five in the frame. St. Joseph's outscored John Jay 15-5, breaking a 10-10 tie, to close out the set and clinch the victory in the first ever meeting between the two schools.

St. Joseph's hits the road for the first time in nearly two weeks heading to Hyde Park, NY on Sunday, October 14th, resuming Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference play. Currently 2nd in the league standings, the Lady Bears face host Culinary Institute of America at 1 pm followed by a neutral site matchup with Yeshiva University at 3 pm.