HUTCHINSON, Kansas, November 16, 2017 – The 12th-seeded Monroe College women's volleyball team, making its second-straight trip to the NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament, fell in its first-round match to No. 5 Hill College Thursday afternoon at Hutchinson Community College. The Mustangs will now compete in the consolation bracket, while the Rebels advance to the quarterfinals.
 
After falling behind early on in the first set, 7-6, the Mustangs rallied to score 11-of-16 points to claim a 17-11 lead. Monroe held a comfortable lead at 21-16 before the Rebels went on a five-point run to tie things up at 21-21. The Mustangs retook the lead with the next point, but the Rebels took the next two to go ahead by one. Monroe then followed with the next two points to force set point, but Hill came back with the final three points of the game to pick up a 26-24 win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
The Rebels used the momentum they gained from their first-set comeback to run out to a 13-4 lead in the second frame. After trailing 16-8, Monroe started turning things around, cutting the deficit to 17-13 with a 5-1 run. Monroe was within five at 22-17, but Hill finished things off with the final three points to take a 2-0 advantage on the afternoon.
 
The Mustangs fell behind, 8-1, before taking 5-of-6 to make it a 9-6 game. The Rebels regained control, eventually pushing its lead out to 11 at 20-9. The Mustangs managed a couple more points the rest of the way, but the Rebels held on for a 25-11 win to take the match and advance to the quarterfinals.
 
Karla Figueroa led the Mustangs with four kills in the match, while Keyshla Laureano Perez, Marissa Hackett and Kyra Kaloi added three apiece. Alexis Baer contributed 11 assists, while Nashally Eleutiza picked up 13 digs. Hackett also led the team with two blocks.
 
The Mustangs will continue their weekend in Hutchinson, Kansas on Friday, Nov. 17, when they begin the consolation bracket of the NJCAA National Championship Tournament. Monroe will take on the loser of New Mexico Military vs. Western Nebraska at 1 p.m. EST.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, will have six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning in the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs), and follow Mustang women's volleyball on Instagram (@monroecollege_wvb).