Apart from an error-filled second set, the Bobcats controlled the Red Foxes, defeating them 3-1.
Quinnipiac’s (9-11, 6-2 MAAC Conference) graduate student opposite hitter Elena Giacomini paced all hitters with 17 kills, effectively converting her 39 attempts. Sophomore outside hitter Sara Dasic led Marist (1-17, 1-7 MAAC) with 14, marking her eighth consecutive game scoring double-digit kills.
Marist brought a new look offense to Saturday afternoon’s match. For the entirety of the MAAC season, graduate student Jamison White handled the setting duties. But today, the Red Foxes started in a 6-2; this rotation uses two different setters as opposed to a 5-1 rotation, which only uses one. When White rotated into the front row, sophomore setter Kaitlyn Owens entered the game, taking over setting duties from the back row.
The twist to Marist’s typical offense allowed White to swing as a hitter in the front row, something she did more frequently during her previous four collegiate seasons at the University of New Hampshire. White made her attacking impact felt immediately, converting her first two swings for kills. She finished the day with eight, her most on the season.
Though the changes offensively resulted in an effective Marist attack – they swung for a respectable .222 hitting percentage in the first set – Quinnipiac held control of the first. The Bobcats served five aces in comparison to just one from Marist. Junior outside hitter Yagmur Gomes recorded three of them for the Bobcats, with the last two coming on the final two points of the set.
Quinnipiac faltered for nearly the entirety of the second set, as they could not shake their error-riddled play. On the first 23 points of the set, the Bobcats committed a stunning 12 errors. The Red Foxes did their part, playing clean and limiting their own errors to take a 17-6 lead.
Though Marist ultimately won the set, Quinnipiac undoubtedly put a scare into the Red Foxes. After lackluster play put the Bobcats in a massive hole, Quinnipiac locked in, scoring 12 of 16 points to suddenly shrink the lead to just three points at 21-18. The Foxes hung on just barely, winning the set 25-21, but Quinnipiac held strong momentum due to their inspired finish to the set.
The Bobcats converted the momentum into an early advantage in the ensuing set, jumping out to a quick 10-4 lead; one that they never relinquished. Quinnipiac did a complete 180, correcting their errors of the previous set, only recording four. They also dominated offensively, scoring 16 kills on an eye-popping .467 hitting percentage.
On the other hand, Marist cooled off offensively; after swinging .222 in both the first and second sets, they dipped to .129 in the third set, only tallying nine kills.
The fourth and final set started very similar to the one preceding it; the Bobcats stormed out to a 10-3 advantage this time. Once again, the early deficit proved too much for the Red Foxes to overcome, but they did not go down without a fight this time.
Trailing 18-9, a five-point serving stretch from Claudia Kasperski and a three-point service run from Katherine Thompson got the Red Foxes back in it. The sophomore liberos served strongly, helping Marist embark on an 8-1 run to trim the lead to two points.
From there, the Bobcats answered with a 6-1 run to win the set 25-18. Quinnipiac brought their A-game from the service line in the fourth set, scoring six aces.
On Sunday, Marist will welcome Merrimack into McCann Arena for just the second time in program history, and the first with Warriors as a member of the MAAC. The Red Foxes won their only other matchup, defeating Merrimack 3-0 in 2021. The match is set to start at 1 p.m.
Edited by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo and graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
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