Marist volleyball let a 2-1 match lead slip away, falling to Quinnipiac in five sets (27-29, 25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 12-15) after the Red Foxes came within three points of a road victory.
Despite finishing with one more kill, block and service ace than Quinnipiac, Marist could not close out the match. The Red Foxes struggled to contain Quinnipiac defensively, allowing the Bobcats to record 82 digs compared to Marist’s 65.
Sophomore setter Caelyn Dumas tied her career-high that she set at Siena with 56 assists, and senior libero Cecilia “CC” Potter-Pessoa led Marist with 18 digs.
For Quinnipiac, freshman outside hitter Sophia Minlend led all players with 16 kills, followed by sophomore opposite Azra Ozbiltekin with 15. Sophomore setter Klara Olszewska matched Dumas’ 56 assists to help the Bobcats complete the comeback.
The opening set came down to the final points, with neither team able to create much separation. Marist matched Quinnipiac with 16 kills, but the Bobcats edged the Red Foxes 29-27 to take the early lead. Freshman middle blocker Molly Malone tallied five kills and three blocks in the set. She finished with 14 kills and six blocks on the afternoon.
Marist responded in the second set, finding its offensive rhythm to even the match. The Red Foxes recorded 16 kills and committed just three attack errors, hitting .271. Junior middle blocker Sarah Bumstead led the way to help Marist pull out a 25-23 win to even the match at one set apiece. Bumstead led the Red Foxes with a career-high 22 kills while hitting .395.
The Red Foxes carried that momentum into the third set, taking control with a 25-20 victory. Marist’s defense limited Quinnipiac to a .063 hitting percentage, held the Bobcats to nine kills and forced seven attack errors.
Sophomore outside hitter Mallory Reck added four kills and a block in the set and finished with 10 kills and 17 digs. The win gave Marist a 2-1 advantage and put the Red Foxes one set away from victory.
Quinnipiac answered in the fourth set, building an advantage that Marist could not overcome. The Bobcats recorded 15 kills and hit .213, while Marist finished with 11 kills. Quinnipiac’s 25-19 win forced a deciding fifth set.
With the match on the line, Marist fought to stay within reach, but Quinnipiac held on for a 15-12 victory. The Bobcats defensive pressure helped them maintain the advantage and finish the comeback, handing Marist its second consecutive five-set loss.
The loss dropped Marist to 9-11 overall and 4-2 in Metro play. Quinnipiac improved to 5-13 overall and currently ties with Marist in the conference.
Marist will return home to face Fairfield at the McCann Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.
Edited by Mike Duda
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo by Marist Athletics
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