In its final regular season game, Quinnipiac women’s volleyball overpowered Saint Peter’s in a straight-sets victory (25-7, 25-17, 25-13) Sunday afternoon.
The win further solidified their position as a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming MAAC tournament, where they have already clinched a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed.
Quinnipiac asserted its dominance right from the start, sprinting to an early 9-2 lead in the first set, senior middle blocker Lexi Morse spearheading the attack with three kills.
The Bobcats’ relentless pressure was too much for Saint Peter’s to handle, as Quinnipiac extended its lead to a staggering 20-5 advantage. The disparity in skill and execution between the two teams was evident, with the Bobcats closing the first set comfortably at 25-7. Freshman outside hitter Leilani-kai Giusta was a standout performer in this set, racking up five kills, while sophomore setter Damla Gunes contributed significantly with 12 assists.
In the second set, however, Saint Peter’s showed a brief glimmer of resistance, managing to tie the set at 10-10, thanks in part to two aces. Quinnipiac’s hitting rate in this set dipped to .188.
However, Quinnipiac regained its composure and momentum, eventually taking the largest lead of the set at 16-11 to force a Peacock timeout. The Bobcats went on to win the second set 25-17, with Giusta increasing her kill count to eight and graduate student outside hitter Aryanah Diaz contributing nine digs.
The third set saw Quinnipiac continuing its domination, jumping out to a 10-6 lead. The Bobcats hitting improved significantly to .429, and they notched three aces early in the set.
The visitors maintained their commanding lead throughout the set, with the score reaching 20-11 in their favor. Diaz, in particular, shone brightly, amassing 12 kills. The final set concluded with Quinnipiac sealing the match 25-13, completing a clean sweep over Saint Peter’s.
Quinnipiac will now turn its attention to the MAAC tournament. With a first-round bye, the Bobcats will square off with the winner of No. 3 Marist and No. 6 Iona in the semifinals. The semifinal match is scheduled to take place on Nov. 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Fairfield.
