Hackettstown, N.J.: The Centenary University volleyball team put up a strong fight in front of the home crowd Thursday night but ultimately fell 3-0 to Ramapo College at the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center. Set scores were 25-20, 25-22, 25-21 in favor of the Roadrunners.
Junior Poppy Skjonnemand once again led the Cyclones with a team-high 10 kills, 13 digs, and a solo block, while Jennifer Thistlethwaite added six kills, two aces, and seven digs. Senior Vanessa Pagano guided the offense with 15 assists, four digs, and a block. Freshman Rey Bennett contributed across the board with three service acces and 11 digs, helping Centenary stay competitive in all three sets.
Centenary (8-9) started strong in the opening frame, jumping out to an early 11-5 lead behind aggressive serving from Bennett and efficient attacks from Skjonnemand and Gabriella Miller, who finished with three kills. However, Ramapo (12-4) rallied late in each set, using balanced hitting and timely defense to edge out the Cyclones.
Despite the loss, Centenary showed consistency in serve receive and defensive coverage, totaling 40 digs as a team.
The Cyclones will look to bounce back when they host Marymount and FDU Florham in a Tri Match this Saturday starting at 12PM. This marks the first conference game of the season.
