Lady Bears Vault Into First Place Sweeping Culinary Tri-Match

HYDE PARK, N.Y.- The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's volleyball team took both ends of a Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference tri-match at The Culinary Institute of America on Sunday afternoon, defeating Culinary in five-sets and taking a straight-set victory over Yeshiva, to move into first place atop the league standings.

In the first match of the day, the Lady Bears  (11-3, 4-0 HVWAC) and Steels (5-5, 2-3 HVWAC) squared off in a rematch of last year's HVWAC title game. St. Joseph's won the first two sets (25-22, 25-20) before the Culinary stormed back and took the next two sets (25-15, 25-20). The Lady Bears would prevail in the deciding fifth set (15-12) to take the match, their first victory over the Steels.

Freshman Lauren GaNun (Breezy Point, NY/Fontbonne Hall) led the attack putting down a career-high 20 kills, the most by a Lady Bear this season, and hit .360 for the match adding three blocks. Senior Kim Matthews (Breezy Point, NY/Bishop Kearney) tallied 36 digs, falling one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills. Junior Sabrina Cornia (Miller Place, NY/Miller) also posted a near double-double, dishing out 30 assists to go along with nine digs.

Despite being pushed to the limit in the first match, the Lady Bears easily bypassed Yeshiva (2-7, 1-2 HVWAC) in the second match of the day winning in straight sets (25-15, 25-10, 25-21). Matthews paced the Lady Bears with her fourth double-double of the season tallying 11 kills and 13 digs. Freshman Anna Carbone (Ozone Park, NY/Mary Louis) contributed 17 digs while also having a service ace and Cornia had 20 assists to go with six digs.

Culinary captured a straight-set victory over Yeshiva in the final match of the day to remain in fourth in the league standings. 

St. Joseph's returns to Brooklyn to host Lehman College on Monday, October 15th in their 2012 home finale at Brooklyn Technical High School. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.