Firebirds Volleyball Swept, 3-0 at Molloy

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY – The University of the District of Columbia volleyball team was swept by host Molloy, 3-0 on Tuesday night in East Coast Conference action at Quealy Gym.

The Firebirds were defeated 25-19, 25-21 and 25-10 as they fell to 6-8 overall and 2-3 in league play while Molloy improved to 6-10 overall and 4-1 in the ECC.

Junior Julia Lynch (Studio Art – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) led the Firebirds offensively with eight kills and two service aces while junior Tara Usko (History – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS), sophomore Kamene Rose (Psychology – Chula Vista, CA/Hilltop HS) and freshman Jazmin Rogers (Mechanical Engineering – Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde HS) each chipped in with 10 digs apiece, defensively.

Molloy was led by Shannon Appel's match-high 10 kills (.400 hitting pct.) and Sam Berna's nine kills and four service aces. Cassie Palmer led the Lions defensively with a match-high 12 digs.

In set one, two consecutive Berna service aces helped the Lions race out to a 5-1 lead, and Molloy would never trail in the set. A kill by District of Columbia's senior outside hitter Vanessa Garley (Marketing – Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho HS) brought the Firebirds within three, 11-8, but the hosts pulled away with a 7-2 run to take a commanding 18-10 advantage. The Lions won set one comfortably, 25-19.

Two early service aces by Molloy's Jennifer Koelbel helped the Lions claim 7-3 lead, but the Firebirds rallied to score four of the next five points and pull within one, 8-7. Again Molloy distanced itself with a 4-0 run to make it 12-7, but the Firebirds came storming back on a 7-2 run to force the first tie of the match, 14-14 on a service ace by Lynch.  Once more, Molloy answered with a 4-0 run led by two kills by Catherine Russini, and the Lions took an 18-14 lead. Four times the Firebirds crept back within two, but that was as close as they would come as they fell in set two, 25-21.

The Lions wasted no time in putting the match away in the third set as they quickly marched out to a 9-4 lead and never looked back. Two consecutive kills by Lynch brought the Firebirds within three, 11-8, but Molloy closed out the set on a 14-2 run to win handily, 25-10.

The Firebirds will look to bounce back as they visit crosstown rival Washington Adventist on Thursday, October 4^th at 7 p.m.