CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College volleyball team suffered its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference defeat of the season on Saturday at the George R. Newman Center, falling to Georgian Court University in four sets, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 30-28. The Cougars are now 4-1 in league play and 6-9 overall, while the Lions improve to 9-7, 5-0 CACC.
Caldwell held the advantage for most of the first set and led 20-15 before Georgian Court made its push, tying the set at 20-20. The score was tied at 21-21 and 22-22 before the Lions tallied the final three points, including two on Caldwell errors, to take the first set, 25-22. Sophomore middle blocker Titilola Alao (Ossining, NY/Ossining) had a team-best four kills for the Cougars, who made 12 hitting errors in the first set. Caldwell bounced back in the second set and had 10 kills and six hitting errors en route to a 25-22 win. Sophomore setter Lauren Roth (Findlay, OH/Findlay) had three kills.
In the third set, Georgian Court broke a 14-14 tie by scoring 11 of the final 15 points to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Brandi Arsenault tallied four of the Lions' 13 kills in the set. Georgian Court jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the fourth set and held match point at 24-17. But the Cougars battled back and scored seven straight points to tie the set at 24-24. Caldwell was on the brink of forcing a fifth set twice, at 26-25 and 27-26, but could not score the final point. Eventually a kill by Lissette Zayas and a Caldwell attack error gave the Lions the match with a 30-28 win.
Alao registered nine kills and five total blocks to pace Caldwell, while Roth finished with 29 assists and seven kills. Freshman libero Maddy Amon (Shelbyville, KY/Bishop Moore), right, racked up a career-high 34 digs on the defensive side of the net, with junior defensive specialist Kathleen Estes (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) recording 15 digs. Arsenault and Janelle Murdock each notched nine kills for Georgian Court, which also received 35 assists from setter Lisamary Figueroa.
Caldwell is back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when the Cougars host Post University in another CACC match. The first serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Newman Center.
CC - 22 25 18 28
GC - 25 22 25 30
