IMMACULATA, Pa. – The Centenary University women's volleyball team suffered its first Atlantic East Conference loss of the season Wednesday evening, falling to Immaculata University, 3-1, inside Alumnae Hall. The Cyclones battled through four sets, falling by scores of 25-19, 22-25, 13-25 and 25-27.
Centenary opened the match strong, recording 11 kills while hitting .219 in the first set. The Cyclones established an early advantage and maintained control throughout the frame, securing a 25-19 victory to take a 1-0 lead.
The second set featured a competitive battle as both teams looked to gain momentum. Despite holding Immaculata to a negative hitting percentage, Centenary was unable to close out the frame, falling 25-22 as the Mighty Macs evened the match.
Immaculata carried its momentum into the third set, recording 10 kills while hitting .375. The Cyclones struggled to find their offensive rhythm, falling 25-13 as the Mighty Macs took a 2-1 advantage.
The fourth set proved to be the closest of the evening as Centenary battled to extend the match. The Cyclones recorded 11 kills and pushed Immaculata beyond the regulation 25 points, but the Mighty Macs held on for a narrow 27-25 victory to secure the four-set win.
Poppy Skjonnemand and Gabriella Miller led Centenary offensively with 13 kills apiece. Skjonnemand added four service aces, six digs and two solo blocks, while Miller contributed eight digs. Jennifer Thistlethwaite recorded six kills, while Helen Bilomasur added four. Adrienne Xiao directed the offense with 30 assists and nine digs, while Rey Bennett anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 16 digs, four assists and three service aces.
As a team, Centenary finished with 37 kills, 35 assists, 11 service aces and 47 digs.
With the loss, the Cyclones move to 10-10 overall and 5-1 in Atlantic East Conference play.
Centenary will return to action on Saturday, November 7, when the Cyclones travel to Marymount University for the final regular season game.
