Marist volleyball won multiple sets for the first time in a match all season, but the effort proved to be in vain as the Red Foxes lost 3-2 to the Siena Saints.
The Saints (2-12, 1-2 MAAC Conference) outplayed Marist (0-13, 0-3 MAAC) in the winner-take-all set, dominating at the net. While eight of the Red Foxes’ 12 points in the set came off of kills, they did so on just a .074 hitting percentage, getting blocked on four separate occasions. On the other side of the court, Siena put their nine kills down at an effective percentage of .269, while Marist failed to record a block.
In the losing effort, senior middle hitter Alyssa White shined, recording a career-high in kills with 12 on just 22 total attacks. Sophomore libero Katherine Thompson led all players in aces (four) and digs (13).
For Siena, redshirt freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Salme Adeele Hollas led the way with 17 kills, followed by senior outside hitter Sara Wagner with 16. Their controlling defense recorded 15 blocks while limiting Marist to a .137 hitting percentage on the night.
Siena controlled the early going, taking a 14-10 lead ahead of the 15-point media timeout. A kill from sophomore outside hitter Sara Dasic put Thompson at the service line, where the libero swung the tide of the set. Thompson embarked on a seven-point run highlighted by two aces and a massive block by freshman outside hitter Taylor Miller to give Marist their first lead since holding a 4-3 advantage early in the set.
Though the Saints ultimately stopped the lengthy point streak, Marist stayed on the attack. A thunderous solo block by Alyssa White prompted a Siena timeout. Graduate student setter Jamison White took a turn on the next point, stuffing a swing from Hollas to put the Red Foxes out to a 23-19 lead, as they approached an important first-set win.
Marist eventually reached set point first, leading 24-21, but Siena rattled off three quick points to tie it up, culminating with a block by Hollas on a swing from Alyssa White. Marist head coach Sean Byron called a timeout that proved effective, as Miller landed a much-needed kill out of the break. Wagner then tipped an attack on the following point out the back end of the court; the costly error gave the Red Foxes a first-set victory for their second straight match, 26-24.
Siena and Marist split the first 20 points of the set at 10 apiece, with neither team able to distance themselves. Marist pulled away first, going on a 6-2 run that gave them enough cushion to keep them safe for a while – before Siena surged back.
Leading 20-15, Marist just needed five points to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match and put themselves just 25 points away from their first victory on the season. The Saints had other plans, winning eight straight points to completely flip the script of the second set.
Wagner had two kills in the eight-point streak, then finished the set off with two more kills for points 24 and 25, clinching a 25-23 Siena win.
Siena parlayed their strong finish in the second into a strong start in the third; the Saints lept out to a quick 7-2 edge and never looked back. Though the Red Foxes cut the deficit to two points on a few occasions, Siena did not let them even up the score.
The Saints scored seven unanswered points to bring the set to a close and win 25-18. Siena dominated at the net in the third set, swinging for an astounding .406 hitting percentage and holding Marist to an underwhelming .097.
The fourth set brought another back-and-forth affair, with the score tied at 7-7 through the first 14 points before Marist took off in the must-win set. The Red Foxes scored 13 of the following 20 points; Marist served tough from the line for four aces and pounded 14 kills on offense in the fourth.
Marist even had luck; with a tight score of 13-11, Jamison White attempted a deceptive setter dump. The ball, tipped backward by White, rolled along the tape of the net before just barely falling in bounds on the Siena side of the floor.
After struggling through the first three sets, the Red Fox offense found its footing. Their .271 hitting percentage marked their highest of the match by far, powering Marist to a 25-19 win, setting up a decisive fifth set to 15 points.
With points at a premium, Marist leaned on its most experienced hitter early in the fifth set. The Red Foxes stormed to a 4-0 lead thanks to Alyssa White, who slammed three kills. Siena did not panic, instead responding with an 8-1 run of their own to take a three-point edge.
From there, Siena never let their lead get under two points, prevailing in a 15-12 victory to win the match.
With Wednesday night’s loss, Marist’s 13-game road trip finally comes to a close. They’ll look to leave the winless slate of road games behind them on Saturday for their home opener. The Red Foxes face off against the Iona Gaels at 1 p.m., the same team that eliminated them from last year’s MAAC Tournament in a memorable five-set affair.
Edited by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
Graphic by Raegan VanZandt
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