SPARTANBURG, S.C., September 18, 2021 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team wrapped up a perfect weekend and expanded their winning streak to nine matches on Saturday, picking up a pair of victories over St. Johns River State College and Walters State College on the final day of the Spartanburg Methodist College Tournament in South Carolina. The Mustangs wins improve their record to 15-3 on the season.
 
Match 1: Monroe 3, St. Johns River 1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-12, 26-24)
After a pair of wins on Friday, the Mustangs rode that momentum into their early Saturday match with St. Johns River, opening up on a 6-1 run. The Mustangs kept a comfortable lead throughout the opening set, eventually leading to a 25-15 win to start the day.
 
The Vikings flipped the script in the second stanza, running out to a 6-3 advantage. The Mustangs turned things around, taking 6-of-7 points to jump ahead, 9-7. The set remained close until four straight points by St. Johns River put the Vikings ahead, 19-17. They went on to take six of the final eight points for a 25-22 win, tying the match up at 1-1.
 
The Mustangs did not allow this trend to continue, getting off to a 7-2 edge to open the third game. The Vikings came charging back with five straight points to tie the set at 7-7, but the Mustangs responded with 4-of-5 points to go back up, 11-8. Monroe essentially clinched the set with a seven-point run that put them up, 18-10, eventually making it 12-of-13 points for a 23-11 advantage. The Vikings got one more point back, but Monroe closed it out with the final two points for a 25-12 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
St. Johns River did not go down quietly, getting off to a hot start in the fourth frame to eventually lead by a score of 9-5. The Vikings continued to control the set, leading 15-9 midway through and eventually holding a 22-18 advantage late in the game. Facing set point at 24-21, the Mustangs caught fire, scoring five straight points to emphatically close out the match with a 26-24 victory.
 
Valeria Trinidad was a big contributor in the Mustangs' first win of the day, producing eight kills and an impressive eight total blocks in the match. Leanisse Solano led the team with 12 kills, adding 10 digs as well. Yaliancis Flores also had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Alisha Callender just missed a triple-double with nine kills, 23 assists and 17 digs, while also serving up a team-high five aces. Lyanis Rios dished out 14 assists and picked up 10 kills for Monroe's fourth double-double of the match. Laura Paniagua led the team with 25 digs. Alondra Ramos added three kills, five blocks and five digs.
 
Match 2: Monroe 3, Walters State 0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-17)
The opening set of Saturday's finale was close to start, seeing the two teams reach a 7-7 stalemate early on. The Mustangs then rattled off five straight points, but the Senators managed to get back within a point at 13-12. Shortly after, seven straight points for Monroe gave the Mustangs a 23-14 edge, leading to a 25-17 win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Walters State got the early jump in the second game, but a 5-4 lead for the Senators soon turned into a 15-6 lead for the Mustangs, who looked to roll to another set win. Walters State got as close as six points the rest of the way, with the Mustangs running away with a 25-16 win to go up, 2-0.
 
The momentum continued for Monroe as the Mustangs opened the third frame with a 5-0 lead. A four-point run for the Senators later cut Monroe's lead to 9-8, but the Mustangs responded by taking 8-of-9 for a 17-9 edge. A late run for the Senators made it a 23-17 advantage for Monroe, but the Mustangs ended things after that with the final two points for a straight set win.
 
The veterans led the way for the Mustangs in their final match of the weekend, with Tereza Strnadlova and Masoomeh Angooti both registering double-doubles in the win. Strnadlova contributed 11 kills, 13 digs and a pair of aces, while Angooti scored 11. Kills, 10 digs and two blocks. Ramos was next with seven kills for the Mustangs. Callender added six kills, 15 assists, five aces and nine digs. Rios led the team with 20 assists and added six digs. Paniagua had a team-high 16 digs and dished out seven assists.
 
The Mustangs are set to play next on Friday, Sept. 24, when they visit Frederick Community College in Frederick, Md., to begin another weekend road trip. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.
 
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).