GaNun Pounds Career-High Kills as Women's Volleyball Splits Tri-Match

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—Junior Lauren GaNun (Breezy Point, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall) landed a total of 41 kills on the afternoon and had seven blocks as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's volleyball split a tri-match with Washington Adventist University and College of Staten Island on Sunday afternoon at the CNR Wellness Center.

St. Joseph's (3-5) swept Washington Adventist (0-4) to snap a three-match skid, before GaNun's career-best 27 kills came up short in a 3-1 loss to Staten Island (5-3). The Dolphins swept the Shock in the afternoon's second match, 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-11), to finish the day undefeated.

In the opener against the Shock, GaNun posted 14 kills and four blocks and senior Jennifer Moncino (Ridgewood, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) contributed nine kills, four aces and 10 digs in a match that saw the visitors hang around most of each set, with the Lady Bears pulling away late in each frame in a 25-20, 25-21, 25-20 victory.

Junior Anna Carbone (Ozone Park, N.Y./Mary Louis) recorded her first career double-double handing out 17 assists – filling in for setter Samantha Cacace (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) who went down in the opening set with an ankle injury – and bringing up 10 digs, also adding six kills and four aces.

Delania Williams led the Shock with eight kills while Adriana Mitchell chipped in seven in defeat.

The afternoon's final match proved to be the most entertaining as the Lady Bears raced out to a 17-9 lead in the opening set, poised to try and reverse the decision against the Dolphins two weeks ago. But a late surge drew Staten Island even and the Lady Bears had a set point but were unable to capitalize and the Dolphins won the last three points to steal the set 26-24.

St. Joseph's was unable to recover the next set, falling behind early and never able to close the gap in a 25-15 set loss.

The third frame was highly contested with nine ties and five lead changes, GaNun taking control and putting away nine of her career-best 27 kills against only one error. The Lady Bears pulled away at 20-20 to earn three set points, 24-21, with the Lady Bears capitalizing on their third set point to force a fourth set, 25-23.

In the fourth set, the Lady Bears managed to hit a match-best .214, but couldn't keep pace with the Dolphins who found the rhythm offensively to put away 12 kills at a .348 clip building a 14-7 lead and never allowing the Lady Bears back into the set.

GaNun carried the Lady Bears offensively, accounting for 31 of the Lady Bears 46 points with 27 kills and ace and three blocks. She also paired it with 13 digs for her second double-double of the season, also earning a double-double in the earlier meeting against the Dolphins.

Shannon Rom (Breezy Point, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) led the defense with 16 digs as four Lady Bears finished with double-digit digs, Moncino adding 13 digs and Chanell Joseph (Bronx, N.Y./St. Jean Baptiste) chipping in 11. Carbone directed the offense with a career-high 23 assists, filling in as setter for the second straight game.

The Dolphins were led by a pair of double-double efforts from Pola Poskrobko (15 kills, 15 digs) and Selma Kolenovic (13 kills, 11 digs).

St. Joseph's resumes Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play hosting The King's College (NY) on Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Technical High School.