NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., September 12, 2019 – In the opening match of the Monroe College Volleyball Invitational, the Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to No. 15 College of Central Florida Thursday evening at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs fall to 3-6 on the year with the loss, while the Patriots improve to 9-2.
 
Central Florida controlled the momentum early on, rolling to an 8-2 lead before the Mustangs were forced to take their first timeout. The Mustangs began to chip away, getting within four at 11-7. The Mustangs narrowed the gap later in the set, getting back within a point at 18-17 to force the Patriots to burn a timeout of their own. After some back-and-forth, the Mustangs managed to tie up the first set at 21-21. The rally continued for the Mustangs, as five-straight points put them up by two and made Central Florida use its second timeout. The run improved to six and reached set point for the Mustangs before the Patriots got two back and made the Mustangs use their final timeout. The timeout threw the Patriots off their rhythm and led to a service error that gave the Mustangs a 25-23 win.
 
The even play continued into the second stanza, seeing the score reach 8-8 before the Patriots scored four straight to take a 12-8 edge. The Mustangs got within two, but another four for Central Florida caused the Mustangs to take a timeout. The Mustangs drew back within two at 18-16, but the Patriots pulled away from that point on, picking up 25-18 win to tie the match at one.
 
The Patriots jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the third game before the Mustangs took a break. The Patriots took an 18-10 lead before the Mustangs needed another timeout. Central Florida never lost its momentum, grabbing a 25-11 win to go up, 2-1, in the match.
 
The fourth frame was close at the start, with Central Florida holding a 5-4 lead. The Patriots scored 7-of-9 after that to go up, 12-6, making Monroe use a timeout. The Mustangs got back within four at 15-11, but five straight points for the Patriots gave them a nine-point advantage late in the set. The Patriots kept their distance the rest of the way, winning 25-15, to wrap up the match.
 
Giulia La Longa and Alondra Ramos matched with a team-high six kills in the match, while La Longa led the team with five blocks. Masoomeh Angooti and Zassmine Birdwell each contributed five kills, while Birdwell had four blocks. Yarianna Gonzalez dished out 15 assists, while Orsini led the team with 18 digs.
 
The Monroe College Volleyball Invitational continues tomorrow, Sept. 13, with six matches at the Monroe Athletic Complex beginning at 9 a.m. Catawba Valley Community College vs. St. Johns River State College will open the day. The Mustangs will take on St. Johns River at 1 p.m. and finish out the day against Northern Virginia Community College at 7 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).