SPARTANBURG, S.C., September 17, 2021 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team had a strong showing on their first day at the Spartanburg Methodist Tournament, hosted by Spartanburg Methodist College in Spartanburg, S.C. The Mustangs defeated USC Sumter in three sets to start the day, and then followed it up with a four-set victory over host Spartanburg Methodist. The Mustangs improve to 13-3 overall with the wins, and push their win streak to seven matches.
 
Match 1: Monroe 3, USC Sumter 0 (25-14, 25-9, 25-13)
The Mustangs got their trip to South Carolina off to a great start on Friday, opening up with the first four points of the first set, and eventually a 9-2 lead. The Fire Ants were able to cut the deficit down to four on a couple occasions, but a pair of 4-0 runs for the Mustangs later in the frame made the lead insurmountable, as the Mustangs went on to claim a 25-14 win to go up, 1-0.
 
The second stanza was much closer to start, as Monroe held just a two-point lead early on at 7-5. That all changed when the Mustangs went on an incredible 15-point run to take a 22-5 advantage, leading to a 25-9 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Mustangs opened the third game with a 5-1 edge. Four straight points made it 11-4 in favor of Monroe, as the Mustangs continued to expand the lead throughout the set. Monroe never relinquished the momentum, rolling to a 25-13 win to close out the match in straight sets.
 
Alondra Ramos led the Mustangs in their first win of the day with 13 kills and a .600 hitting percentage. Leanisse Solano was next with seven kills, adding five digs. Alisha Callender followed with six kills, adding a team-high 21 assists as well as 10 digs for another double-double. Yaliancis Flores matched Callender's six kills. Laura Paniagua led Monroe with 18 digs, while Lyanis Rios dished out 11 assists.
 
Match 2: Monroe 3, Spartanburg Methodist 1 (25-16, 12-25, 25-23, 25-23)
Playing in their second straight match, it was tougher sledding for Monroe against the tournament hosts. The Pioneers held an early 6-4 lead in the opening set before the teams traded runs, seeing Spartanburg Methodist go up, 11-9. Six straight for the Mustangs put them back ahead, 15-11 and swung the momentum heavily in their favor. The Mustangs used that momentum to reach a score of 25-16 to claim the opening game.
 
The tables turned in the next set, as the Pioneers had a strong start and took advantage of Monroe mistakes to jump out to a commanding 17-6 lead. The Mustangs weren't unable to string together a rally, falling by a score of 25-12 and seeing the match tied up at one set apiece.
 
The trend looked like it would continue when the Pioneers took a 7-2 lead on Monroe to open the third frame, but the Mustangs followed with five straight points to tie things up at 7-7. Later, seven straight points by the Mustangs gave them a 15-9 advantage, but the Pioneers were able to chip away, getting back within a point at 21-20. The teams traded each point the rest of the set, allowing the Mustangs to hang on for a 25-23 victory and a 2-1 edge in the match.
 
The Mustangs found their rhythm again and got off to an 8-3 start in the fourth frame. The Pioneers were unable to cut the deficit to fewer than three points from that point on. Four straight points for Monroe late in the game put the Mustangs up, 20-13, and after the home team halted the run, the Mustangs scored five of the final six points to claim a 25-15 win and a four-set victory.
 
Callender was impressive yet again, finishing with nine kills, 20 assists, 16 digs and five blocks. Flores led the team with 15 kills in the win, while Ramos added 11 of her own. Solano finished with 10 kills and completed a double-double with 12 digs. Rios led Monroe with 23 assists, while Paniagua totaled 32 digs, nine assists and two aces.
 
The Mustangs play twice more at the Spartanburg Methodist Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 18. They get off to an early start with a 9 a.m. match against St. Johns River State College, followed by an 11 a.m. contest against Walters State College.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 39 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 18 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).