Women’s Volleyball Rallies to Defeat Mount Ida in Five

BOSTON – The Suffolk volleyball team dug itself out of a 2-0 whole and rattled off three frame wins to claim a 3-2 victory over Mount Ida Saturday morning inside Regan Gymnasium. The GNAC triumph came by set scores, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23 and 15-4. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Mt. Ida 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (9-7, 4-3 GNAC) | Mt. Ida (13-8, 2-3 GNAC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rams fell in the first two sets, rallied in the third to force a fourth frame and rolled from there, claiming the fourth, 25-23, and the final, 15-4, to lock up the victory. 

SET ONE RECAP (25-22, MT. IDA)

• Suffolk took a 9-5 lead.
• Mt. Ida inched back and recorded its first earned point of the set at 12-11 thanks to an ace by Cassidy Bechtle.
• The score evened at 13-all and the lead flip flopped in favor of the Mustangs as Mary Kate Reidy sent down a kill.
• The Rams responded and gained the edge, 17-16, thanks to three consecutive Mt. Ida mistakes.
• Mt. Ida hung around, however, and capitalized on a Suffolk error to go back in front, 19-18.
• From there, the visitors outscored the hosts 6-3 to take the set, 25-22. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-21, MT. IDA)

• Mt. Ida claimed a 10-3 advantage that blossomed into a 16-10 lead.
• The Rams chipped away at the deficit and pulled within two, 18-16.
• The Mustangs called a timeout to talk things over, but the blue-and-gold continued to keep on the pressure and leveled the playing field at 19-19.
• A see-saw affair ensued as the lead changed twice with the final time landing in Mt. Ida's favor, 21-20.
• Down the stretch, the Mustangs used a 4-1 spurt to claim a 2-0 lead in the match. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-21, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk trailed 12-6.
• The Rams slowly, but surely came back thanks to an 8-3 stretch that made it a one point stanza, 15-14.
• The Mustangs attempted to slow the hosts down with a timeout.  but Suffolk responded and locked the score at 15-all out of the break.  
• The score equalized again at 19-19, before Suffolk went in front for the first time in the frame thanks to a Hannah Fabiano kill.
• Suffolk used a 4-2 run to lock up the set and force a fourth. 

SET FOUR RECAP (25-23, SUFFOLK)

• A tight battled was present throughout the entire stanza.
• The score held even at 20-20, before Suffolk rallied behind a Mustangs service error.
• Talia Lombardo knocked down a kill before Liz Kerek served an ace to put the hosts ahead by three, 23-20.
• Mt. Ida kept things close, but Kayla Barbera secured the set with a kill. 

SET FIVE RECAP (15-4, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk put the first five points on the scoreboard as Lombardo recorded two kills and Fabiano served a pair of aces.
• Out of a Mustangs timeout, the Rams maintained their composure and cruised to a 15-4 victory. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Fabiano's 17-kill, 16-dig effort paved the path for the Rams. The freshman served five aces and notched three blocks.
• Barbera contributed 10 kills and seven digs, while Lombardo pithed in eight kills, 11 digs, two aces and one block.
• Kerek set up Suffolk's offense with 41 assists with the senior adding 13 digs, three blocks, a pair of kills and aces. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Mount Ida went to five sets for the first time in series history.
• The Rams won their third straight match versus the Mustangs to remain unbeaten against Mt. Ida under the guidance of Bonny Ducharme.
• Fabiano and Kerek each notched double-double efforts. Fabiano produced double figures in multiple categories for the fourth time, while Kerek contributed her fourth double-double performance this season, third in a row, and 10th throughout her career.
• Kerek matched a career-best with 41 handouts. 

POST-GAME PIC

UP NEXT
Suffolk wraps up Saturday action in the closer of the home tri-match versus Framingham State. First serve is anticipated for 2 p.m.