BOAZ, Ala., November 1, 2019 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team split its first day of action at the 2019 Gulf Atlantic District Championship at Snead State Community College on Friday. No. 3-seed Monroe defeated No. 6 Snead State in three sets to move into the winner's bracket, but fell to No. 2 Gadsden State Community College in four sets to fall into the loser's bracket. Monroe will now face elimination in each match the rest of the way.
 
MATCH 1: #3 MONROE 3, #6 SNEAD STATE 0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-20)
After having to battle through the same tournament a year ago to reach the NJCAA National Tournament, the Mustangs seemed comfortable in their opening match of the weekend. They got off to a 7-3 start in the first set against Snead State, but a run by the Parsons made it a 9-8 Mustang lead shortly after. It was tied, 11-11, before Monroe went on a four-point run to go up, 15-11. The Parsons were within two at 21-19, but the Mustangs were able to close it out for a 25-19 win to go up, 1-0, in the match.
 
The Mustangs fell into an early hole in the second set, as the Parsons claimed a 12-5 advantage. The Mustangs narrowed the gap and got within two at 15-13, but Snead State was able to go back up, 18-14. The Mustangs then rattled off six straight points, jumping into the lead at 20-18. After trading a couple points, the Mustangs closed out the game with four straight for a 25-20 comeback victory and a 2-0 lead for the match.
 
The third frame was the closest at the start, seeing the Mustangs take a 14-12 lead midway through. After going up, 17-15, Monroe scored three in a row to take a five-point advantage. The Parsons were within three at 22-19, but the Mustangs took 3-of-4 to close out the match with a 25-20 win.
 
Alondra Ramos and Giulia La Longa matched for a team-high 11 kills in the win, picking up five and four blocks, respectively. Zassmine Birdwell added eight kills and an impressive seven blocks. Alondra Garcia had a double-double with 16 assists and 12 digs, while Yarianne Gonzalez added 14 assists and six digs. Melanie Orsini scooped up a team-high 17 digs.
 
The win pushed the Mustangs into the winner's bracket of the tournament, setting up them for a match later in the day against No. 2-seeded Gadsden State Community College.
 
MATCH 2: #2 GADSDEN STATE 3, #3 MONROE 1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-18, 25-21)
Monroe's second match of the day got off to a back-and-forth start with the Cardinals, seeing Gadsden State take an early 6-4 lead. Monroe then scored five straight points to take a 9-6 edge, but the Cardinals later closed the gap at 12-12. The Cardinals held a 20-18 advantage late in the frame, and then scored 5-of-7 to close out the set with a 25-20 win and 1-0 lead over Monroe.
 
Another even start saw the second set reach an early 6-6 stalemate. The Mustangs then scored four straight to go up, 10-6. Another three-point run later in the frame put the Mustangs ahead, 18-11. A 4-0 run by the Cardinals got them within four at 20-16, but the Mustangs were able to keep momentum in their direction and finish things off with a 25-18 win to tie the match at 1-1.
 
The Cardinals took a quick 5-1 edge in the third stanza, but the Mustangs quickly tied it up with give points in a row. The teams traded leads until Gadsden State scored four in a row to go up, 15-11. The Cardinals were able to keep their distance from the Mustangs the rest of the set to take a 25-18 win and go up, 2-1.
 
The fourth frame had another close start, with the Cardinals taking a slight 7-6 advantage. Three straight for Monroe put the Mustangs up, 9-7, but the Cardinals scored six of the next seven to take a 13-10 lead. A 4-1 run by Gadsden State put the Cardinals up by six at 20-14, and they were able to hang on to pick up a 25-21 win and claim the match in four sets.
 
Ramos picked up a double-double in the Mustangs' second match of the day with 10 kills and 12 digs. La Longa led the team with 11 kills, while Chiara Mottola matched Ramos' 10. Birdwell added seven kills and tied with Juliana Minota for a team-high four blocks. Orsini finished with 22 digs in the match. Garcia dished out 22 assists and picked up eight digs, while Gonzalez added 20 assists and four digs.
 
The Mustangs will now face elimination the rest of the way. Their first elimination match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, when they take on Coastal Alabama Community College-South at 11 a.m. EST.
 
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).