Indira Benitez recorded a match-high 15 kills as Saint Peter’s rallied back to post a 3-2 victory (19-25, 12-25, 25-23, 25-12, 15-10) over Canisius in MAAC volleyball action Friday night at the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City, N.J.
The Peacocks improved to 7-17 overall and 2-11 in league play with the victory, while the Golden Griffins fell to 10-13 overall and 8-5 in conference play with their second-straight loss.
For Saint Peter’s, Valeria Pagan Munoz contributed 14 kills and seven digs to the win. Alondra Fargas dished out a team-high 21 assists and 10 digs.
Canisius was led by senior Bella Mosquera, who recorded 14 kills on 33 attempts for an .303 attack efficiency. She was also credited with a solo block and four block assists. Senior Kalia Reisma tallied a career-high 10 block assists, as the Griffs ended the night with 28 block assists as a team. Senior Ella Bourque dished out a match-high 43 assists and junior Brenda Reynaga tallied a match-high 18 digs.
Canisius claimed the opening set 25-19 to take a 1-0 advantage in the match. In the second frame, Canisius hit at a .391-clip, their most efficient set of the evening. Leading 19-11, the Blue and Gold went on a 7-1 run to secure a 25-12 set victory.
Out of the intermission, Saint Peter’s won the third set to avoid the sweep and tied up the match at 2-2 with a 25-12 victory in the proceeding set. In that fourth frame, the Peacocks hit at .444 as a team.
In the deciding set, the Peacocks jumped out to a 7-3 advantage. A brief surge of three consecutive points by Canisius narrowed the deficit to one at 7-6. However, from that point, Saint Peter’s scored eight of the next 12 points to close out the contest.
MATCH NOTES
• Canisius has won 36 of the last 40 meetings with Saint Peter’s and leads the all-time series, 43-15.
• Five of the Griffs’ 13 league matches this season have gone to five sets.
• Freshman Madi Cowan recorded 12 kills in the match, marking the 13th time this season where she has posted 10-or more kills in a match.
• Reisma complemented her 10 blocks with seven kills on 20 attack attempts for a .350 attack percentage.
• Bourque holds fourth place all-time on the school’s career assist list with 3,569 to her credit. She sits 96 assists shy of third place on that list, held by former Griff setter Janelle Davis.
UP NEXT
Canisius will close out its weekend roa trip to New Jersey on Saturday when the Blue and Gold plays at Rider. First serve between the Griffs and Broncs is slated for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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Courtesy of Canisius University Athletics.
