ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. - Sophomore middle blocker Keesha Francois (Elkins Park, PA/Cheltenham) tallied 13 kills and a .310 hitting percentage to pace the Caldwell College volleyball team to a four-set victory at Molloy College, 26-24, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21 Saturday afternoon at Quealy Gymnasium. The win is the Cougars' second in a row and gives them an overall record of 3-4, while the Lions drop to 3-7.
The victory was Caldwell's first against a non-conference opponent since the program was re-established in 2006. Earlier this season, the Cougars defeated Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe USP in a match that does not count in the conference standings.
The first set remained close throughout, with neither team leading by more than two points. A kill by Tina King made the score 24-22 and had Molloy on the verge of taking the first set, but a kill by senior outside hitter Laura Ciesla (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) forced a side-out and gave Caldwell the serve. Three consecutive kills by the Cougars, including two by Francois and one by freshman right side Amber Mosher (Flanders, NJ/Mount Olive), allowed Caldwell to take the set and a 1-0 lead.
The second set also was tight, but the Lions broke a 23-23 tie and won the next two points to knot the match at 1-1. Caldwell jumped out to a 10-2 lead early in the third set and cruised to a 25-17 win buoyed by a .370 hitting percentage and 14 kills. Again the Cougars took the upper hand early in the fourth set, leading 17-9 at one point. But Molloy came back to pull within two points, 23-21. Sophomore outside hitter Justine Pecora (Clifton, NJ/Mount St. Dominic Acad.) put the set and the match away with back-to-back kills for a 25-21 win.
Freshman setter Lauren Roth (Findlay, OH/Findlay) recorded a career-high 39 assists to help the Cougars put down a season-best 52 kills. Mosher finished with 11 kills and a .270 hitting percentage, while Pecora, Ciesla and freshman middle blocker Titilola Alao (Ossining, NY/Ossining) each tallied eight kills apiece. Defensively, Alao had five total blocks and Francois had four, with sophomore outside hitter Cory Roesing (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) recording a team-best 10 digs.
Next up for the Cougars is a non-conference match at home against Southern Connecticut State University on Monday, Sept. 22. The first serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.
CC - 26 23 25 25
MC - 24 25 17 21
