NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Monroe University bounced back with an impressive offensive performance Wednesday night, defeating Dominican University of New York in four sets. Monroe took the first two sets 25-19 and 25-10 before Dominican answered with a 25-22 win in the third. Monroe responded in the fourth, closing out the match with a 25-16 victory.
Monroe set the tone offensively in the opening set, putting down 11 kills with just two errors on 22 attempts for a .409 hitting percentage. Dominican managed 10 kills but committed seven attack errors as Monroe secured the 25-19 victory and an early 1-0 advantage.
The second set was Monroe's most efficient of the night. The hosts recorded 13 kills against just one error on 26 attempts, hitting .462 while holding Dominican to a -.074 percentage. That difference helped Monroe cruise to a 25-10 win and take a commanding two-set advantage.
Dominican responded with its strongest performance in the third set, hitting .444 with 15 kills and only three errors. Monroe remained efficient at .267, but Dominican held on for a 25-22 victory to extend the match.
Monroe quickly regained control in the fourth. The hosts produced 14 kills with only one attack error on 31 attempts, good for a .419 hitting percentage. Dominican finished the frame at .167, and Monroe pulled away for a 25-16 victory to secure the match in four sets.
Adriana Garcia led Monroe with 16 kills while hitting .317 and added seven digs and an ace. Milani Isatu Washington delivered one of the most efficient performances of the night, finishing with 10 kills and just one error on 15 attempts for a .600 hitting percentage. Thais Chantal Cocly Vasquez added eight kills without an error, also hitting .500, while Eira Rodriguez-Wells recorded seven kills on 10 attempts for a .600 percentage.
Emma Dedushaj anchored the defense with 16 digs, while Sofia Vazquez added 10. Odalis Cox finished with 16 assists and seven digs, and Mileyshka Melendez contributed 14 assists, five digs and three service aces. At the net, Liliana Barbierikova recorded three solo blocks and two block assists, while Kristhaly Torres added three solo blocks.
As a team, Monroe finished with 49 kills and only seven attack errors on 109 attempts for a .385 hitting percentage. The hosts also collected 61 digs, seven service aces and nine total blocks while limiting Dominican to a .167 hitting percentage in the 3-1 victory.
