Still bitter over their frustrating loss against the Peacocks three weekends ago, the Red Foxes got their revenge, powering past Saint Peter’s in four sets.
The last time Marist (3-20, 3-10 MAAC Conference) and Saint Peter’s (5-15, 3-10 MAAC) matched up, the Peacocks dismantled the Red Foxes in straight sets. The loss left a bad taste in their mouths, as Marist did not perform their best, beating themselves with countless errors.
“We were not happy with last time so we definitely used that for motivation,” said graduate student setter Jamison White.
“In the last game we kept making the same mistakes and today we were very disciplined,” added freshman outside hitter Taylor Miller.
Though Marist has struggled this season throughout conference play, they have stayed competitive, only being swept twice – once by the first-place Fairfield Stags and the other being Saint Peter’s, who reside near the bottom of the MAAC standings with Marist.
“We had 27 errors last time we played them,” said Marist head coach Sean Byron. “If you give anybody one game, they can beat you.”
Marist cleaned up their play this time, pounding 47 kills and committing 18 attack errors, resulting in a respectable .246 hitting percentage across four sets.
Lengthy scoring runs dictated the first set of action; Marist went first with sophomore setter Kaitlyn Owens at the line. The Red Foxes scored six consecutive points early on to stake an 8-3 lead. Saint Peter’s struggled on offense in the first half of the set while trailing, registering a negative hitting percentage.
The Peacocks turned the tides shortly after, rattling off a dominant 10-3 stretch that saw them take complete control of the set. Sophomore outside hitter Maliyah Labrie served three aces of Saint Peter’s seven consecutive points within the run, forcing Byron to call both of his timeouts.
Saint Peter’s capitalized off the crucial momentum swing, scoring five of the set’s final six points to win 25-19. The Peacocks cleaned up their sloppy offense from the beginning of the set, finishing with 13 kills on a .276 hitting percentage.
Marist started the second on an absolute heater; Saint Peter’s had no answer for the Red Foxes’ attack, specifically Miller. In the blink of an eye, Marist jumped to a staggering 17-5 lead, their largest of the season. Miller has been one of Marist’s most important additions this season, averaging 14.3 kills a game in conference play. She kept pace today, scoring 14 and adding five total blocks.
However, Saint Peter’s did not let Marist cakewalk to a win, scoring four straight points. Miller stopped the streak with a kill following a timeout before the Peacocks, scoring five of the next six to cut the deficit to five, but that was as close as they got.
Marist seemingly scored six straight to end the set 25-14, but a scorekeeping issue prolonged the set. The scoreboard incorrectly read 24-14, forcing the Red Foxes to score an additional point, which they did two plays later.
The offensive output in the second set differed greatly. The Red Foxes’ hitting percentage of .429 wildly outclassed Saint Peter’s -.031.
Neither side budged in the crucial third set, keeping deficits and leads within a few points throughout the set. Marist reached 20 first while holding a three-point advantage, then set point at 24-22. Saint Peter’s head coach Fernando Colon called timeout, but Miller clinched the set with a solo block on the ensuing point, leaving the Red Foxes 25 points away from their first winning streak of the season.
Marist took control of the fourth set early on, thanks to Sara Dasic affecting the game in multiple facets. The sophomore outside hitter stuffed a Peacocks attack, smashed an overpass to prompt a timeout, and served an ace within a five-point span. Dasic led the Red Foxes in kills for the umpteenth time this season, this afternoon scoring 19.
This time, the Red Foxes never let Saint Peter’s back in it after taking a comfortable lead. Marist cruised to a 25-14 lead while holding the Peacocks to just a .065 hitting percentage in the final set. Additionally, Marist thrived on offense with 14 kills and kept the pressure on at the service line, headlined by two aces.
“When you have a lead, you feel more confident to swing hard, serve hard and make big plays,” said White.
Marist has a tough matchup ahead of them tomorrow against the Rider Broncs, who are tied for second place in the conference. Rider took down Marist the last time the two teams played, but following consecutive wins, the Red Foxes are playing with a newfound confidence.
“We had a pretty rough start so this is definitely an ego boost for us,” said Miller. “As each game goes by we’re trusting each other more and more.”
Marist has a chance to make a statement win tomorrow against a formidable opponent; the first serve is set for 1 p.m. in McCann Arena.
Edited by Jaylen Rizo
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo from marist Athletics
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.
