Women’s Volleyball Bests Albertus Magnus in Four in GNAC Debut

NEWTON, Mass. – The Suffolk volleyball team pulled the curtain back on its GNAC calendar Saturday afternoon with a four-set victory over Albertus Magnus at Lasell's Athletic Center. The win came via set 25-19, 25-22, 19-25 and 25-17.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Albertus Magnus 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-4, 1-0 GNAC) | Albertus Magnus (5-2, 1-1 GNAC)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-19, SUFFOLK)

• Albertus Magnus went up 4-2 before Suffolk turned the tides and grabbed a 5-4 edge. 
• The Falcons climbed back in front 8-5 and the Rams responded once again, this time leveling the playing field at 11-all. 
• Suffolk outscored Albertus 7-2, including a 3-0 stretch, to go up 18-13.
• The Rams put up five consecutive points to set up set point, 24-15. 
• Albertus Magnus held off Suffolk with three straight points before a kill from Kayla Barbera locked the frame for Suffolk, 25-19. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-22, SUFFOLK)

• A tight stanza was persistent with the Falcons up 17-13 at the midway point. 
• Suffolk climbed back with a 4-1 stretch to tie things up at 18, before going up one, 19-18, on an ace by Talia Lombardo.
• The Falcons tied the score and exchanged the lead with Suffolk, but it wouldn't be enough as the Rams  went off with 6-1 stretch to claim the frame, 25-22.   

SET THREE RECAP (25-19, ALBERTUS MAGNUS)

• Albertus Magnus' 5-1 lead blossomed into a 9-2 cushion before Suffolk's head coach Scott Blanchard took a timeout to talk things over. 
• The break did not put pin in the Falcons plan as they cruised ahead, 16-7.
• Suffolk held off set Albertus' claiming the set with a 6-1 stretch that put the Rams within four, 17-13. 
• The Rams rally ended there as the Falcons used four consecutive points to put an eight-point margin between the foes, 22-14. 
• The teams traded points the remainder of the way and Summer Onorato's kill locked up the set for the Falcons to force the frame. 

SET FOUR RECAP (25-17, SUFFOLK)

• With the stanza tied at 11-all, Suffolk put four points together and turned a 14-11 advantage into an 18-14 lead. 
• The Rams outscored the Falcons, 7-3 the remainder of the way to take the frame, 25-17, and the match.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Hannah Fabiano and Barbera each contributed a double-double effort. Barbera notched a match-high 11 kills to go along with 12 digs, while Fabiano pitched in 10 kills and 11 digs. 
• Chidera Nwankwo joined the sophomores with double-digit kills with 10 to her credit. 
• Dakhensey Marcellus backed the Rams' defense with a match-best 19 digs. 
• Lombardo spread out the wealth with 38 assists, four digs and three aces.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Albertus Magnus met for the third time in the Rams' conference opener since 2003. 
• The Rams improved to 3-0 in its league debut when taking on the Falcons. 
• Suffolk captured a win in its conference opener for the first time since 2015. 
• Suffolk won its seventh match against Albertus Magnus to add to its commanding all-time series lead, 19-1. 
• Suffolk and Albertus Magnus went to four sets to decide a winner for the sixth time in the series. The Rams improved to 5-1 in four-set matches against the Falcons.
• Barbera produced her first collegiate double-double and a career-high 12 digs.
• Fabiano contributed her first double-double of the year and eighth of her collegiate career.
• Lombardo registered a personal-best 38 assists. 
• Suffolk's 49 kills marked a season-high for the blue-and-gold and the most since the Rams recorded 55 in a 3-2 setback to Curry Oct. 14, 2017.
  

POST-MATCH PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up the GNAC tri-match this afternoon when it takes on Lasell at approximately 3 p.m.