NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., October 26, 2019 – For the ninth time in as many seasons, the Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team claimed the Region Championship, defeating Harford Community College on Saturday in three sets at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 21-11 overall with the win, while Harford finishes its season at 14-11. The Mustangs now qualify for the Gulf Atlantic District Championship, which will be hosted by Snead State Community College in Boaz, Ala., next weekend.
 
After opening the first set with a 2-2 score, the Mustangs went on a big run. They never allowed the Fighting Owls to stay in the game, picking up a 25-8 win for a quick 1-0 lead in the match.
 
The second set proved to be much more competitive, as the Fighting Owls took an early 5-4 advantage. The set continued to be close, as the Mustangs were able to take a lead, but only led, 13-12, midway through. After leading 15-13, the Mustangs went on a 5-0 run to go up by seven. They later led, 23-14, and were able to close it out with a 25-16 win to go up, 2-0, in the match.
 
The third frame got off to nearly the same start as the second, reaching a 5-5 stalemate early on. The Mustangs then scored 5-of-6, to go up, 10-6, and followed that up with another five in a row to take a 15-7 edge and force Harford to use a timeout. The lead reached 18-7 before Harford went on a six-point run to get within five at 18-13. The Mustangs then picked up the next four points to go back up by nine, eventually forcing match point at 24-16. Giulia La Longa wrapped it up with a kill, giving the Mustangs another 25-16 win and the match.
 
Zassmine Birdwell and Lillian Olson each finished with a team-high nine kills on Saturday, while Birdwell hit a team-best .667. Alondra Garcia led the team with 19 assists, while Yarianne Gonzalez added 12 of her own. Melanie Orsini picked up 21 digs in the win to lead the Mustangs. Garcia and Julia Alves each served up three aces in the win, while Garcia also had nine digs. Giulia La Longa and Nia Cornegy each had a pair of blocks.
 
The Mustangs are set for next weekend's Gulf Atlantic District Championship, which will run by Nov. 9-11 at Snead State. The Mustangs' schedule for next weekend will be announced during the week.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
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).