PRESCOTT, Ariz., August 31, 2019 – The No. 15 Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision on Saturday to No. 20 Arizona Western College in their final match of the Dalton Overstreet Invitational, hosted by Yavapai College.
 
The Mustangs held an early edge in the opening frame on Saturday, but a run by the Matadors put Arizona Western ahead, 10-6. The Mustangs worked their way back into the lead at 13-12, but the Matadors then pulled away, going up by seven at 22-15 before eventually picking up a 25-18 win to go up, 1-0, in the match.
 
The second stanza was tied up at nine before four straight points for the Matadors gave them a 13-9 advantage. After the Mustangs broke the Matadors' run, Arizona Western put up another five in a row to take an 18-10 edge. The Matadors kept their distance until a late run by the Mustangs made it a 23-20 set, but Arizona Western managed to close it out with a 25-21 win to take a 2-0 lead.
 
The Matadors jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the third set, and later went up, 14-9. After a timeout, the Mustangs went on a seven-point run to take a 16-14 lead. The Mustangs had set point at 24-21, but the Matadors won three straight to tie it up. After a 25-25 stalemate, a block by Zassmine Birdwell and Giulia La Longa, followed by a kill by Birdwell, closed out the set for Monroe and kept the match going.
 
The Mustangs kept the momentum going to take a 9-4 lead in the fourth frame. The Matadors responded by winning 5-of-7, but the Mustangs took the next three to push the lead to 14-9. After the Mustangs took a 19-15 lead, the Matadors rattled off seven straight points to take a 22-19 lead. The teams then traded points, leading to a 25-22 win for the Matadors to finish the match.
 
La Longa finished with 10 kills to lead the team on Sunday. Tereza Strnadlova added eight kills and four aces, and matched Melanie Orsini with 21 digs. Yarianne Gonzalez handed out 17 assists, while Alondra Garcia contributed 15.
 
The Mustangs will take another road trip next weekend to compete in the Daytona State College Tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Their weekend opens on Thursday, Sept. 5, against Daytona State College at 6 p.m.
 
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).