Women’s Volleyball Rallies Past Culinary In Five to Notch First Win of Season

HYDE PARK, N.Y. — Lauren GaNun (Breezy Point, N.Y./Fontbonne Hall), Nina DiCioccio (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and Anna Carbone (Ozone Park, N.Y./Mary Louis) each recorded double-doubles as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's volleyball team overcame a two-set deficit and fought off three match points to outlast former Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals Culinary Institute of America, 3-2 (21-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-20, 21-19), on Sunday afternoon at the CIA Student Recreation Center.

How it Happened

• Culinary held the lead for most of the opening two sets with the Lady Bears remaining close late in each frame before the Steels pulled away in each frame.
• With the second set tied 17-17, three kills from Emily Brown helped power a 7-0 run that gave the Steels a 2-0 set advantage.
• DiCioccio put away six kills in set three and served a key 5-0 run late in the frame to seal the set.
• The fourth set saw 11 ties and eight lead changes and with the Lady Bears trailing 17-16, four straight kills from GaNun would give SJC the lead for good as GaNun finished with eight kills in the set
• St. Joseph's fell behind 13-8 in set number five and their comeback attempt appeared it would fall just short before three Culinary errors followed by back-to-back DiCioccio kills drew the deciding set even at 13-13.
• St. Joseph's would erase two match points before earning their own two match points they were unable to capitalize on. After fighting off a third match point, the Lady Bears managed to complete the comeback on their fourth match point, winning the final two points on CIA miscues.

For the Lady Bears (1-2)

• Lauren GaNun had a match-high 19 kills, 25 digs and five total blocks (three solo), all team highs in recording her first double-double of the season.
• Nina DiCioccio turned in her first career double-double with 14 kills and 23 digs
• Anna Carbone matched her career high with 32 assists, also bringing up 23 digs, adding five kills and four aces.
• Samantha Rossi chipped in four kills and three aces

For the Steels (1-1)

• Victoria Ko led three Steels with double digit kills with 13 kills at a .346 clip.
• Emily Brown finished with a 12-kill, 24-dig double-double with four blocks.
• Marcela Andonie contributed 11 kills with a match-high 27 digs.

The Lady Bear Facts

• The Lady Bears move to 4-3 in the all-time series vs. Culinary having now won the last three meetings.
• Four of the last five meetings have gone the five-set distance, with the Lady Bears remaining a perfect 4-0 in those meetings

Next Up for the Lady Bears

St. Joseph's will head to borough rivals Medgar Evers College on Thursday, September 17th for a non-conference match starting at 7 p.m.