MAHWAH, N.J. – The Centenary University women's volleyball team battled Ramapo College for four competitive sets Thursday evening, taking the second set before ultimately falling, 3-1, inside the Bradley Center. The Roadrunners took the match by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-22 and 25-19.
Set One: Ramapo 25, Centenary 23
The Cyclones battled Ramapo point-for-point throughout a tightly contested opening set. Poppy Skjonnemand and Julia Stuart helped lead the Centenary attack, while Helen Bilomasur also provided offense as the Cyclones remained within striking distance late. Centenary fought to a 23-23 tie before Ramapo captured the final two points to take the opening frame. Centenary recorded 11 kills with just two attacking errors on 45 attempts, finishing the set with a .200 hitting percentage. Ramapo totaled 20 kills but committed eight errors, hitting .231.
Set Two: Centenary 25, Ramapo 23
Centenary answered in the second with another back-and-forth battle. Skjonnemand continued to lead the attack, while Stuart and Bilomasur provided additional kills as the Cyclones stayed close throughout the frame. With the score tight late, Centenary put together the points it needed to finish off the Roadrunners, 25-23, and even the match at one set apiece. The Cyclones held Ramapo to its lowest hitting percentage of the match in the second. Centenary recorded 10 kills on 40 attempts, while the Roadrunners committed eight attacking errors and hit just .081.
Set Three: Ramapo 25, Centenary 22
The Cyclones turned in their best offensive set of the night in the third. Skjonnemand, Stuart and Bilomasur continued to find openings in the Ramapo defense as Centenary recorded 12 kills with just two errors on 25 attempts for an impressive .400 hitting percentage. Despite the efficient attack, Ramapo stayed close throughout the frame. The Roadrunners totaled 14 kills and hit .355 before pulling out the final points of another tight set, 25-22, to take a 2-1 match advantage.
Set Four: Ramapo 25, Centenary 19
Centenary continued to battle in the fourth as Skjonnemand and Stuart led the attack. The Cyclones stayed within reach of the Roadrunners, but Ramapo was able to create separation late and close out the match with a 25-19 victory. The Cyclones recorded eight kills in the final set, while Ramapo totaled 15. The Roadrunners hit .225 in the frame to secure the four-set victory.
By the Numbers:
Skjonnemand led the Centenary offense with 17 kills, while Stuart finished with 12 kills and Bilomasur added seven kills while hitting .261. Adrienne Xiao directed the offense with 22 assists and also contributed 11 digs.
Rey Bennett anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 17 digs while adding two service aces. Xiao followed with 11 digs, while Bilomasur recorded seven. Jennifer Thistlethwaite and Skjonnemand each added an ace.
Centenary finished the night with 41 kills, 37 assists, 59 digs and five service aces, hitting .175 for the match. The Cyclones also committed just 16 attacking errors compared to 25 by the Roadrunners.
The loss moves Centenary to 2-6 on the season.
