NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., September 14, 2019 – In the final match of the Monroe College Volleyball Invitational, the Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Catawba Valley Community College Saturday evening at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs fall to 4-8 on the year, while the Red Hawks improve to 7-2.
 
Things were close early on in the first set, seeing the Mustangs hold a 9-8 lead. The Mustangs began to pull away after that, scoring 6-of-8 to take a 16-10 advantage. With the score at 19-15, the Mustangs rattled off four straight to take an eight-point lead, eventually claiming a 25-17 win to go up, 1-0, in the match.
 
Neither team was able to gain much ground on the other during the second frame, reaching a 13-13 stalemate midway through with neither squad taking a lead larger than two points. After a 16-16 tie, the Red Hawks picked up four straight points to grab a four-point edge on the Mustangs. Catawba Valley held serve from there, picking up a 25-18 win to tie the match up at one set apiece.
 
The teams once again appeared to be evenly matched throughout the third set, seeing the Mustangs hold a 15-14 edge midway through. Four straight points for the Mustangs forced the Red Hawks to burn a timeout. Monroe managed to take a 23-19 lead, but the Red Hawks closed the gap with four straight points to tie it up. After reaching a 24-24 tie, the Red Hawks took the next two points to win the set and go up, 2-1, in the match.
 
The Red Hawks carried their momentum from their third-set comeback into the fourth frame, going up, 12-7, early on. They then went on a nine-point run to take a 14-point advantage. The Mustangs worked back within eight points, but were unable to get within reach, falling 25-16.
 
Alondra Ramos led the way for Monroe with 15 kills in the match, adding 10 digs. Giulia La Longa, Zassmine Birdwell and Chiara Mottola all added six kills apiece. Masoomeh Angooti picked up 25 digs, while Juliana Minota had 16 of them. Yarianne Gonzalez dished out 33 assists in the match.
 
The Mustangs will look to bounce back on Thursday, Sept. 19, when they host Nassau Community College at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The match is set to begin 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).