NEWTON, Mass. – The Suffolk volleyball team got back on the winning track Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory over Mount Ida at the MIC Athletic Center. The triumph came by set scores of 25-22, 25-19, 19-25 and 25-17.
Chidera Nwankwo paced Suffolk (6-18, 2-6 GNAC) as she notched 10 kills. Jane Buckley pitched in nine kills on a .600 hitting clip to the offensive effort. Liz Kerek handed out 16 assists and chipped in 11 digs for the second double-double of her career, while Heidy Barreiro led the Rams defensive effort with a career-high 19 digs. Talia Lombardo added on both sides of the net with 12 digs and four kills.
Mount Ida (10-14, 2-5 GNAC) received 13 kills from Mary Katy Reidy and 11 from Kristy Walton.
The Rams took control of the first after a Lombardo kill moved the score to 13-9. The Mustangs rallied to pull within one, 15-14, before a Emma Feeney kill sandwiched around Mt. Ida errors pushed the lead back to four points, 18-14. Another Lombardo kill gave Suffolk a 23-21 edge and the Rams took set point on a Kerek ace, 25-22.
Five answered points put Suffolk out in front 6-2, before the visits lead stretched to 18-8 off a kill from Buckley. The Rams never looked back from there as a Mount Ida ball handling error sealed the 25-19 victory, putting the visitor up 2-0.
The Mustangs rebounded in the third set and went on top by six, 11-5, midway through the frame. Suffolk eventually came back to tie the score at 14 on a Buckley strike and grabbed the lead with a kill from Bridget Allison. The score bounced back-and-forth until the host scored seven of the last nine points to record set point, 25-19.
It was all Suffolk in the fourth set as the rams rolled to a 11-5 lead of its own. A 3-0 spur pushed the score to 22-5 before a pair of Nwanwko kills sandwiched around a Lombardo kill sealed the set and victory for Suffolk, 25-17.
Suffolk will be back in action this weekend for #RamNationWhiteOut as the Rams host Emmanuel and Albertus Magnus in a GNAC tri-match. The first match of the day is scheduled for 11 a.m.