UNION, N.J. – The Centenary University women's volleyball team competed in a pair of matches Saturday afternoon at the Kean Tri-Match, taking on Endicott College and host Kean University inside Harwood Arena.
Match One: Endicott 3, Centenary 0
Centenary opened the afternoon against Endicott, falling in three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-12 and 25-22.
The Cyclones came out strong in the opening set, building an early advantage behind kills from Helen Bilomasur and Gabriella Miller. Endicott eventually worked its way back into the set and pulled away late for the 25-19 win.
After Endicott took the second set, Centenary responded with its strongest offensive performance of the match in the third. The Cyclones recorded 14 kills and hit .200 in the frame, keeping the set close throughout before the Gulls escaped with a 25-22 victory to complete the sweep.
Bilomasur led Centenary with 11 kills on just 14 attempts, finishing with a .643 hitting percentage. Poppy Skjonnemand added 10 kills and six digs, while Miller finished with six kills and two service aces. Adrienne Xiao recorded 16 assists, and Rey Bennett led the defensive effort with 18 digs.
Centenary finished with 31 kills compared to Endicott's 32 while holding a 42-39 advantage in digs.
Match Two: Kean 3, Centenary 0
The Cyclones closed out the afternoon against host Kean, falling 25-14, 25-17 and 27-25.
After dropping the opening two sets, Centenary put together a strong response in the third. The Cyclones battled the Cougars point-for-point and pushed the set beyond the normal 25-point mark before Kean was able to secure the final two points for the 27-25 win.
Skjonnemand, Miller and Britney Keeney each recorded five kills to lead a balanced Centenary attack. Keeney was efficient offensively, recording her five kills on seven attempts without an attack error.
Xiao dished out 14 assists and added six digs, while Bennett once again led the defense with 11 digs. Miller and Jennifer Thistlethwaite each recorded two service aces as the Cyclones finished with six aces in the match.
Centenary's record now sits at a 3-8 overall record.
