By: Drew Feinberg
Follow @DFeinberg_Q30
The Quinnipiac women’s volleyball team defeated Saint Peter’s in straight sets on Saturday, in the team’s first home match of the season.
Junior outside hitter Jen Coffey led the Bobcats with 13 kills on 25 attempts. Sophomore setter Maria Pansari earned her second straight double double posting a season-high 37 assists and adding 10 digs. Pansari improved upon her previous career high of 30 assists, which she tallied in a loss at Iona on Sunday.
The Bobcats started off the match a bit slow, but rebounded.
On the other hand, the Peacocks came firing out of the gates leading early in the first set 10-9.
Eventually tying the score at 15-15, the Bobcats went on a 10-0 run to win the first set 25-15. Sophomore Natalie Alechko served for all ten points to end the set.
The second set started off in a similar way as the first.
Both teams went back and forth, trading point-for-point in the early stages of the set. However, the Bobcats used another run, this time 8-0, to push ahead. Pansari was involved in every point on that run as the Bobcats again won 25-15.
In the third set, Quinnipiac pummeled Saint Peter’s with an offensive barrage.
The Bobcats tallied 14 kills, never trailed and won the final set 25-14. Senior middle hitter Elizabeth Kloos posted three of her seven kills in the third.
One of only two seniors on the roster, Kloos has stepped up into a leadership role. Leading by example, she has taken the responsibility of mentoring this underclassman-heavy team.
“She has been instrumental with the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors,” head coach Kris Czaplinski said. “She’s just doing a great job all around.”
Kloos considers her role more of a management role than a teaching one.
“Everyone has a general idea of what they are supposed to be doing, but I just have to keep them focused at every point,” Kloos said.
After the match, seven players from Puerto Rico (QU: Alejandra Rodriguez, Michelle Cuervo SPU: Natalia Carbonell, Carlina Ruiz, Karla Seda, Wildalys Soto and Yaidelis Lopez-Jimenez) gathered for a picture with the Puerto Rican flag, sending their best to those affected by Hurricane Maria.
Quinnipiac will face Rider on Sunday, September 24th at 1 p.m. in Burt Kahn Court.
The Bobcats went 2-0 against the Broncs last season, but Czaplinski says that records don’t mean anything right now.
“We have to come out ready to play, we have to make sure we’re executing tomorrow,” he said.
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