PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Manhattan Jaspers Women's Volleyball team (0-1) fell in its season-opening non-conference contest against the Owls from Temple (1-0), in straight sets (18-25, 20-25, 22-25) inside McGonigle Hall on Friday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Welcoming six newcomers along with 10 returners, the Jaspers took the court with something to prove.
- After Ori Briger served the opening point of the Manhattan season, Katie Powers tied the first set at one with an emphatic kill assisted by Briger.
- The Green and White capitalized on a pair of errors to both take the lead at 3-2 and tie the set back up at 6 apiece.
- Emma Francesconi took a feed from Emilia Kuzniar on the Jaspers' seventh and eighth points of the set for a pair of kills.
- Following a 5-1 run to put the hosts up 24-14, the Owls appeared to be in the driver's seat.
- It was then four consecutive points from the the visitors with the first two coming from Francesconi, with Powers' registering a solo block for the third, and assisting on another with Francesconi for the fourth before Temple took the first set 25-18.
- While Temple set the tone early in set number two, Manhattan captured three out of four points including a solo block from Helenn Montilla to tie the set at seven-all.
- The Owls began to pull away late in the set, but a combination of a service ace from Kuzniar and a dual block from Hanna Kacsynka and Abby Morreale put Manhattan back within three.
- Just when the Jaspers had them back within reach, back-to-back kills from the hosts gave them a two-set advantage.
- Brooke Johnson served up a service ace of her own early in the third set to tie it at two.
- Another good stretch for the Green and White ensued when they captured four of five points midway through, which included two kills from Powers, a service ace form Morreale, and another kill from Johnson to top it off.
- More back and forth continued late into the set, with another 4-0 stretch putting the set back within one at 22-21, highlighted by another Morreale ace.
- Despite hanging in until the very end, a final service ace from Temple's Sofia Hardy secured the 3-0 victory for the hosts.
STATS AND NOTES
- Senior outside hitter Katie Powers secured the most kills amongst her teammates with seven.
- Following close behind her were Sophomore and Redshirt Sophomore outside hitters Emma Francesconi and Brooke Johnson, with five and four respectively.
- The Jaspers hit at their best rate in the third set, with a .269 clip.
- Senior middle blocker Abby Morreale contributed the most to the block party, with one solo and two assisted.
- Senior and Junior setters Emilia Kuzniar and Ori Briger spread the ball around the most, accounting for 23 of Manhattan's 27 assists.
NEXT UP
The Green and White will conclude their play at the Cherry and White Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, August 29, when the Jaspers compete in another Battle of the Bronx, this time in the City of Brotherly Love against the Rams from Fordham. Action is scheduled to get underway at 5:30 p.m., there will be no video stream and live stats are
available here.
Follow Manhattan Women's Volleyball on X and Instagram (@JaspersVB).
