The Quinnipiac women’s volleyball team (10-20 overall, 9-8 MAAC) defeated Canisius (10-17 overall, 8-9 MAAC) by a score of 3-1 on its senior day to earn a MAAC tournament berth for the second year in a row.

[media-credit id=2200 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Quinnipiac head coach Kris Czaplinski was appreciative of the commitment his seniors gave to the program, and is looking forward to competing in the MAAC tournament.

“These women started as having five players in their class and now it’s two,” Czaplinski said. “They worked so hard to get this program off the ground and I’m glad for them about that. As for the MAAC tournament, we throw that record out the window and it’s a completely different season for us.”

As for the game, Quinnipiac started on the attack, winning the first set 25-16 and having 13 kills with just eight errors. The Bobcats also had senior middle hitter Elizabeth Kloos return to the lineup, as she had been out of the lineup since September due to injury. Kloos had four kills and two errors in the three sets she played.

Czaplinski was glad to have Kloos back in the lineup and praised the effort she gave throughout the season.

[media-credit id=2200 align=”alignright” width=”198″][/media-credit]“It’s amazing how quickly she returned from a broken ankle,” Czaplinski said. “Kloos just wanted to make this season special and it all goes back to how bad she wants (to compete).”

Canisius won a close second set 26-24, to tie the match at one, but the Bobcats would not let that faze them, as they came back to win the third set, 25-20. The Bobcats won the fourth set by their biggest margin of the game, 25-16. They had 16 total kills as well in addition to two errors in the set.

Sophomore setter Maria Pansari impacted Saturday’s game with four aces, 45 assists and 11 digs.

Czaplinski was impressed with Pansari’s performance and felt it improved as the match moved along.

“It was definitely one of her better setting performances,” Czaplinski said. “The offense was stagnant during the second game, but the third and fourth game she got the ball to the right people at the right time.

The Bobcats will play their next match on Sunday at Niagara. Quinnipiac is 4-10 on the road and will try to pick up its fifth win, while Niagara is 17-9 overall and 13-4 in the MAAC.