Falcons Split; Earn Win Against Hornets

Northfield, VT - The Lyndon State College women's volleyball team opened its 2017-2018 season with a non-conference tri-match at Norwich University against Fisher College.  Unfortunately for the Hornets they come up on the short end in both matchups, falling 3-0 in each.  Norwich defeated Fisher, 3-2, in the day's other match, and evened its record at 3-3.  With a split, Fisher now stands at 3-2 on the season.
 
Fisher 3, Lyndon State 0
 
Fisher started fast in the first set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead ignited by a pair of aces by Natie Manalo.  Junior outside hitter Faith Richard (Acushnet, MA) got the Hornets on the board with a kill, and Fisher committed an attack error as the Hornets cut the deficit to 5-2.  The Falcons then ran off eight of the next nine points to open up a 13-3 lead, as Madison Murphy capped the run with three consecutive service aces.  After the teams alternated the next four points, Fisher ran off ten straight to close out the first set, 25-5.
 
The Falcons again jumped on the Hornets to open the second set.  A service ace by Govanna Rosado and two Lyndon errors gave Fisher a quick 3-0 advantage.  The Hornets narrowed the gap to 3-2 on a Fisher attack error and a Richard ace, but Fisher responded with four straight points, highlighted by two kills by Cynthia Huerta.  After trading points Fisher then took control of the set by running off eight straight points to open up a 17-4 advantage.  The Falcons coasted from there and closed out the set, 25-8.
 
Lyndon got off to a better start in the third set, as a pair of Fisher attack errors gave the Hornets a quick 2-0 advantage.  Kills from Manalo and Huerta sandwiched a par of Manalo aces to put Fisher back in front, 4-2.  Following a Fisher attack error the Falcons then ran off 15 of the next 17 points to take a commanding 19-5 advantage.  Huerta served up six straight aces to cap the run.  Junior Samantha Theriault (West Ossipee, NH) stopped the bleeding with a kill off of a set by Meghan Campo (Essex Junction, VT).  Fisher remained in control the rest of the way and closed out the set and the match, 25-7.
 
Huerta recorded 13 kills, seven aces, and eight digs to pace the Falcons.  Manalo added five kills, while Lia Ames recorded nine digs.  Richard recorded a kill, an ace, and four digs for the Hornets.  Fisher held a dominant 26-2 advantage in kills and the Hornets contributed to their own demise by committing 27 reception errors.