Volleyball Drops Four-Setter to LIU on Friday

The Central Connecticut volleyball team fell in four sets against LIU on Friday evening at Detrick Gymnasium. The Blue Devils won the opening set before the Sharks rallied back to hold off the hosts. Victoria Sanabria led CCSU with 14 kills.

The volleyball team dedicated the evening as their mental health match. The team created mental health bracelets for the contest and read a dedication from Morgan's Message, which aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.

The Blue Devils will host FDU on Saturday afternoon.

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE

Score:  CCSU 1, LIU 3 (26-28, 25-21, 27-25, 25-18)
Records: CCSU (3-17, 2-6 NEC), LIU (7-15, 6-2 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• The teams went back-and-forth in the early going of the opening set. Madison Massaro-Cook would serve three straight aces to put CCSU ahead, 6-4, and the Blue Devils would edge ahead 11-6 following a kill by Weronika Poczynek to make it 11-6 and force an LIU timeout. The Sharks would rally and eventually go ahead 24-23. The Blue Devils would win the set after a kill by Sanabria and an LIU error.
• In the second set, a kill by Mia Lombardo put Central ahead 14-12. The Blue Devils maintained the lead until LIU rolled off seven straight points to go ahead 22-17. CCSU would break the run but were unable to edge closer than the final margin.
• Central would build its largest lead in the third set at 14-8 following blocks by Isabelle Roufs and Isabelle Bratze and another by Roufs. LIU would respond with a six-point run to even the score. The Sharks would build a 21-17 lead following four straight points before CCSU would eventually string together three straight points and have a 24-23 lead. LIU would extend the set and eventually win the frame on a block and an Blue Devils error.
• The Sharks did not trail in the fourth set and forced a Central timeout at 10-5. LIU would go ahead by as much as 20-12 and closed out the match with back-to-back kills.

NUMBER TO KNOW

9 – The Blue Devils nine service aces, their third match in conference play with nine or more aces.

NOTES

• LIU has won five straight in the series since Central won back-to-back matches.
• More information on Morgan's Message is available at www.morgansmessage.org
• Sanabria had a career-high in kills and had a .379 attack percentage.
• Poczynek added 11 kills and 16 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
• Massaro-Cook set up the CCSU offense with 22 assists. She added eight digs and four aces.
• Defensively, Lauren Milani had a team-high 22 digs, while Kaylin Hadley had six total blocks.

UP NEXT

The Blue Devils will host FDU on Saturday afternoon.

Follow @CCSUBlueDevils on Twitter and CCSUBlueDevils.com for updates.