Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - Led by 14 kills apiece from Alexa Lampasona (Remsenburg, N.Y.), Mariana Furquim (Curitiba, Brazil) and Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), the Manhattan College volleyball team picked up its first victory of the 2012 season on Sunday afternoon. The Jaspers (1-2) knocked off the host Explorers (1-3) 25-17, 20-25, 25-22, 25-11 in the final match of the La Salle Invitational from Tom Gola Arena.
La Salle recorded the first three points of the match, but Manhattan scored the next three to tie it. The first set would be tied four more times before a Wiekamp kill broke a 7-7 deadlock and started a 7-3 Manhattan run that gave the Jaspers a 14-10 advantage. After the Explorers pulled within two at 15-13, Lampasona pounded a kill to ignite a 7-2 rally that increased Manhattan's lead to seven, 22-15. The Jaspers hit a solid .333 (11 kills, three errors, 24 attempts) in the first set, which they took by a 25-17 count.
In the second set, La Salle again built an early cushion, going up 7-2. After Manhattan pulled within 7-5 on a Sarah Haselhorst (Naperville, Ill.) service ace, the Explorers responded with an 8-2 spurt to push their lead back to eight points, 15-7. The Jaspers got back within two at 19-17, but would get no closer, as La Salle notched a 25-20 set victory.
It was Manhattan that jumped out to the early lead in the third set, and La Salle was forced to take its second timeout with the Jaspers in front 12-3. La Salle chipped away at the lead, pulling within five at 18-13, before Manhattan scored the next four points to make it 22-13. After the Jaspers reached set point at 24-17, the Explorers fought off five straight opportunities, forcing a Manhattan timeout. Following the timeout, Wiekamp slammed a kill to finish off the set, 25-22, and give Manhattan a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set started off tight before a kill by Furquim started a 13-4 Manhattan rally that turned a 4-3 deficit into a 16-7 lead. La Salle scored the next two points, but Wiekamp followed with a kill to continue the Jaspers' run. Manhattan took nine of the final 11 points to wrap up the fourth set, 25-11, and seal the victory.
Lampasona hit a solid .406 in the match, committing just one error in 32 swings. Furquim and Wiekamp both notched double-doubles for the second straight match. Furquim had 13 digs and three blocks, while Wiekamp tallied 12 digs and an ace. Jamie Collareta (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) recorded two aces to go along with a match-high 33 assists, and Hollegn Henderson (Long Beach, Calif.) distributed 12 assists. Kelsey Huntoon (Monroe, Mich.) posted a team-high 30 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Explorers 86-77. Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) added 16 digs and two aces. As a team, Manhattan hit .194 (50-19-160) in the match.
Kelly Scanlon led La Salle with 12 kills. Rachel Melich handed out 26 assists and Michelle Healy added 10 assists for the Explorers. Breanna Mazalewski recorded a match-high 32 digs, while Samantha Tulskie tallied 19 digs to go along with seven kills. La Salle hit .078 (42-28-179) as a team.
Manhattan is back in action next weekend at the William & Mary Tournament. The Jaspers take on William & Mary (1-2) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
