NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Centenary University women's volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday afternoon at the Mount Saint Mary Tri-Match, falling to Ramapo College, 3-1, before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over host Mount Saint Mary College. During the second match, sophomore Rey Bennett reached a career milestone, recording her 600th career dig.
Game One: Ramapo 3, Centenary 1
Set One: Centenary 25, Ramapo 20
Centenary came out strong in the opening set, jumping out to an early advantage behind kills from Helen Bilomasur and Poppy Skjonnemand, along with service aces from Bilomasur and Bennett. The Cyclones maintained control throughout the frame and used an efficient offensive attack to secure the 25-20 win. Centenary recorded 14 kills with just two errors on 43 attempts, hitting .279, while holding Ramapo to eight kills and a .081 hitting percentage.
Set Two: Ramapo 25, Centenary 13
Ramapo responded in the second set and established an early lead. The Cyclones attempted to cut into the deficit with kills from Skjonnemand, Britney Keeney and Julia Stuart, but the Roadrunners' offense prevented Centenary from putting together an extended run. Ramapo finished the set with 15 kills and hit .344, while Centenary recorded four kills on 30 attempts and hit -.033 as the Roadrunners evened the match with a 25-13 victory.
Set Three: Ramapo 25, Centenary 22
The third set was the closest of the match as the Cyclones battled Ramapo throughout the frame. Skjonnemand, Gabriella Miller and Stuart helped lead the Centenary attack as the Cyclones stayed within striking distance late. Centenary totaled 11 kills with three errors on 48 attempts for a .167 hitting percentage, but Ramapo closed out the final points for the 25-22 win.
Set Four: Ramapo 25, Centenary 13
Ramapo carried its momentum into the fourth set and built an early advantage. Centenary continued to battle behind its front line, but the Roadrunners pulled away to close out the match. Skjonnemand led the Cyclones with 12 kills while hitting .345. Miller added nine kills, while Stuart recorded seven kills and three block assists. Adrienne Xiao finished with 18 assists and three service aces, while Bennett led the defensive effort with 13 digs.
Game Two: Centenary 3, Mount Saint Mary 1
Set One: Mount Saint Mary 25, Centenary 23
Centenary and Mount Saint Mary went back-and-forth throughout a tightly contested opening set. Miller helped get the Cyclones' offense going, while Bilomasur, Skjonnemand and Stuart contributed to an efficient attack. Despite Centenary recording 14 kills with only two errors and hitting .273, Mount Saint Mary edged the Cyclones late for the 25-23 victory.
Set Two: Centenary 25, Mount Saint Mary 14
The Cyclones responded with their strongest offensive set of the afternoon. Centenary began to pull away behind contributions throughout the lineup, with Miller, Skjonnemand and Bilomasur helping lead the attack. Centenary committed no attacking errors in the frame, finishing with 13 kills on 38 attempts for a .342 hitting percentage. The Cyclones held the Knights to a .067 hitting percentage on their way to the 25-14 win.
Set Three: Centenary 25, Mount Saint Mary 22
Centenary carried the momentum into a competitive third set. Stuart, Bilomasur, Miller and Skjonnemand continued to provide a balanced attack, while Bennett anchored the Cyclones' defense from the back row. During the match, Bennett recorded the 600th dig of her collegiate career, adding another milestone to her career with the Cyclones. Centenary recorded 12 kills with three errors on 40 attempts for a .225 hitting percentage. The Cyclones held Mount Saint Mary to a .079 hitting percentage and secured the 25-22 victory to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set Four: Centenary 25, Mount Saint Mary 13
Centenary took control early in the fourth and never looked back. Miller and Skjonnemand helped the Cyclones establish an early advantage, while Bilomasur continued to apply pressure from the service line. The Centenary defense forced Mount Saint Mary into nine attacking errors as the Knights hit -.065 in the final frame. The Cyclones recorded 10 kills and closed out the match with a 25-13 victory. Stuart led Centenary with 12 kills while hitting .400. Bilomasur finished with 11 kills, three service aces and 14 digs, while Miller added 10 kills. Skjonnemand contributed nine kills and two aces.
Bennett turned in a milestone performance in the back row, recording a match-high 32 digs to surpass 600 career digs. Xiao recorded 14 assists, while Brooke Dykhouse added 13 as Centenary finished with 49 kills, 44 assists, 80 digs and 11 service aces.
The victory over Mount Saint Mary improved Centenary to 2-5 on the season.
