The Roadrunners have been knocking over their opponents like dominoes as of late, with three recent victories against Farmingdale State College, Misericordia University and Montclair State University, extending their streak to 11 consecutive wins.
On Saturday, the Roadrunners entered Farmingdale’s court determined to conquer, and exited with a pair of non-conference victories.
A report card associated with the first game would be glowing for the team. Highlights included a hitting percentage of .260 compared to Farmingdale’s .087, and a total of 44 kills to their 32.
The first set was a tight one, with Ramapo falling 25-23. Energized by the adrenaline that only comes from such a narrow loss, the team returned to the court with a vengeance. The Roadrunners took the next two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-20. When senior Desiree Cruz opened the fourth with a clean kill, her teammates entered a frenzy and closed the deal with an uncontestable 25-6.
Much of the credit goes to freshman Maliyah LaBrie, who registered 15 kills throughout the game, and senior Kalme Moncavo, who contributed seven aces. Farmingdale’s freshman Sarah Rende and junior Lana Ventura gave their all with 29 assists and 15 digs respectively, but ultimately could not match Ramapo’s talented roster.
Ramapo also took the second game by a score of 3-1, however Misericordia put up a fiercer back-and-forth, with a hitting percentage of .101 to Ramapo’s .190. The ratio of total kills was also much closer, with Ramapo narrowly surpassing at 38 to 35.
The Roadrunners displayed their strength out of the gate, opening the first set with back-to-back kills from Moncavo and junior Riley Stewart, followed by Moncavo triumphing again with an ace. The set closed 25-10 in Ramapo’s favor, but Misericordia took the second set 25-16.
The Cougars gave a strong overall performance. Senior Fiona Pyfer tallied 12 kills, and sophomore Jenna Schuda tallied 29 assists. However, these skilled displays were not enough to stop Ramapo from coming home with the win. The latter two sets were taken by the Roadrunners, 25-12 and 25-11, with LaBrie making the final kill that closed the deal.
LaBrie registered 11 total kills, and Moncavo matched her performance. Other notable contributions included 16 assists from sophomore Cleopatra Diakou and 15 from junior Alexandra Sacchinelli.
The Roadrunners rode their victory streak to Montclair’s court and did not leave disappointed. Ramapo’s phenomenal performance included 45 kills to their opponents’ 24, a hitting percentage of 0.212 to Montclair’s 0.68 and a 3-0 non-conference win.
After much back-and-forth in the first set, the Roadrunner’s clipped the Red Hawks’ wings with nine points in a row. Montclair attempted to make a comeback with kills from middle blocker Sophia Lopez and outside hitter Rachel Curran, but the set ultimately ended 25-18.
Ramapo opened the second set strong with three kills in a row from Cruz, Sacchinelli and junior Krystal Santiago Oquendo. This strength carried the team to the end, closing the set in Ramapo’s favor 25-19.
The final set was the closest of any across all three games. The Red Hawks fought fiercely and the set dragged on until a kill from Cruz and an attack error from Curran closed the deal 26-24, handing Ramapo the victory.
Outstanding stats from the game included 11 kills from Cruz, 19 assists from Diakou and 15 digs from Moncavo. On the other side, setter Emily Carcich and libero Emma Hatcher earned respect with 22 assists and 15 digs, respectively.
An overall 11-0 record forecasts a sunny season for the women’s volleyball team. The only storms are the powerhouses whose names and performances keep popping up in the highlights. Up next for Ramapo is a home game against Rutgers Camden on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
dbongiov@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
