PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Adriana Garcia recorded a match-high 20 kills and 14 digs as the Monroe University women's volleyball team earned a hard-fought five-set victory over Holy Family University on Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center, winning 3-2 (25-11, 16-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-9).
The victory improved the Mustangs to 11-7 on the season, while the Tigers moved to 10-11.
Garcia led a balanced Monroe attack that produced 58 kills, while Thais Chantal Cocly Vasquez added 14 kills and A. Rodriguez-Wells and M. Washington contributed 10 kills apiece. The Mustangs bounced back after Holy Family evened the match at two sets apiece, taking control in the deciding frame to secure the road win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Monroe came out firing in the opening set, establishing an early advantage and building a commanding lead behind its offensive pressure. The Mustangs pulled away to take the first set, 25-11, setting the tone with a dominant performance.
Holy Family responded in the second set, finding its rhythm offensively and evening the match with a 25-16 victory.
The third set proved to be the most tightly contested frame of the match. Both teams traded points throughout, with Monroe battling through a back-and-forth finish to claim a 27-25 win and regain the match advantage at 2-1.
The Tigers answered once again in the fourth set. Despite Monroe's efforts to close out the match, Holy Family held on for a 25-23 victory, forcing a decisive fifth set.
With the match on the line, the Mustangs delivered their strongest response. Monroe built an early lead in the deciding frame and maintained control down the stretch, closing out a 15-9 victory to take the match, 3-2.
MUSTANG STANDOUTS
Garcia paced the Mustangs with 20 kills on 38 attempts, adding 14 digs for a double-digit performance in both categories. She finished with a .342 hitting percentage and a team-high 22 points.
Vasquez followed with 14 kills on 29 attempts, hitting .345 while adding a block assist. Rodriguez-Wells contributed 10 kills, two service aces and a block assist, while Washington also tallied 10 kills and two block assists, finishing with a team-best .444 hitting percentage among Monroe's primary attackers.
At setter, Mileyshka Melendez recorded 24 assists and nine digs, while Odalis Cox added 23 assists, four digs and three service aces.
Defensively, Garcia's 14 digs led the Mustangs alongside Melendez and Sofia Vazquez, who each recorded nine digs. Liliana Barbierikova contributed three block assists, helping Monroe finish with eight total block assists.
STATS & NOTES
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Monroe improved to 11-7 overall with the five-set victory.
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The Mustangs recorded 58 kills on 130 attempts, finishing with a .300 hitting percentage.
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Garcia led all players with 20 kills and added 14 digs.
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Vasquez finished with 14 kills and a .345 hitting percentage.
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Rodriguez-Wells and Washington each contributed 10 kills.
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Washington hit .444, recording 10 kills on 18 attempts with just two errors.
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Melendez and Cox combined for 47 assists.
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Monroe recorded 13 service aces and eight block assists.
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The Mustangs won the opening set by 14 points and secured the deciding fifth set, 15-9.
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Holy Family finished with 52 kills and nine total blocks.
UP NEXT
The Mustangs return to action on Wednesday, October 21, when they host the University of Bridgeport. Game-time is set for 6:00 p.m.
