Volleyball Wins at Saint Francis U in Five Sets on Sunday

The Central Connecticut volleyball team took its second five-set match of the weekend with a 3-2 win at Saint Francis U. on Sunday in Loretto, PA. Central had four players record double-digit kills and four others had double-digit digs. The Blue Devils improved to 7-7 overall on the year and are now 2-0 in Northeast Conference action. 

Freshman Morgan Woycik led the team with a match-high 15 kills. Sophomore Raquel Quirarte had 13 kills and senior Cassidy Stankowski and freshman Gala Galabova had 10 apiece. Stankowski added 18 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. Senior Rachel Fish posted a match-high 28 digs and junior Lindsey Massicotte had 14 digs. Sophomore Kaitlyn Kushman had 23 assists and 15 digs, while freshman Erin McDermott had 24 assists. Senior Maddie Smith led the team with 10 total blocks.

The Red Flash took the first set and used an 8-0 run to build a 12-6 lead. The Blue Devils would come back with an 8-1 run of their own to take a 16-14 lead after a kill by Stankowski. Central was in position to take the opening frame after an error put it in front, 24-22, but SFU would fight off set point and run off four straight points to win the set, 26-24.

Central bounced back in the second set and rattled off seven straight points to break a tie and go ahead 18-11.  The Blue Devils would win the set comfortably, 25-17.

CCSU went ahead, 2-1, with a win in the third set. The score was tied, 14-14, but after three unanswered points ending with a kill from senior Brooke Schwab the Blue Devils took the lead for good. A kill by Galabova closed out the set to make it 25-22.

Saint Francis rallied in the fourth set and would not allow CCSU to post consecutive points in building a 12-7 lead. The Blue Devils battled back with McDermott serving five straight points to even the score. Central would lead, 22-21, after a kill by Woycik but the Red Flash would run off four points to win the set, 25-22, and force a fifth set.

In the fifth set, the teams went back-and-forth until a block by Quirarte and Smith broke a tie to put CCSU ahead, 9-8. Massicotte would serve three straight points and a block by Smith would cap the run to give Central a 12-8 lead. SFU would score a point to end the spurt, but Central would score the final three points to take the set, 15-10, and win the match.

The win helped the Blue Devils improve to 2-0 in Northeast Conference play for the first time since 2012. It also marked the first time since 2013 that Central won at SFU and Robert Morris in the same season.

Central is back in action on Friday, September 30, when it hosts Bryant at 6:00 p.m. in Detrick Gymnasium.