New York, N.Y.- The Hunter College women's volleyball team (4-0) kept its perfect season alive with a gritty five-set victory over the Emmanuel Saints (0-2) in a high-energy match at the Hunter College Sportsplex on Friday evening. The back-and-forth contest saw Hunter outlast Emmanuel 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 15-7, earning their fourth consecutive win of the season.
The Saints came out strong in the first set, capitalizing on Hunter's early struggles. The Hawks recorded 10 hitting errors and hit a negative percentage (-.016) in the set. Despite a late push by Williams and Moummad, Emmanuel pulled away to take the set 25-21, putting Hunter in an early hole. Hunter responded with much more efficient play in the second set, hitting .143 as a team. Mattison and Williams began to find their rhythm, and the Hawks cleaned up their errors. Key contributions from Tomaneng and McIntyre helped Hunter level the match at one set apiece.
In the closest set of the match, Hunter clawed their way to a 25-23 win in the third, taking advantage of Emmanuel's miscues. Williams and Moummad came through in the clutch with several key kills, while Doci provided a late spark off the bench to help secure the set. The Saints refused to go quietly, battling back in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth. Hunter's offense sputtered again, and Emmanuel capitalized on multiple lead changes to pull out a 25-21 win.
In the decisive fifth set, Hunter jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The Hawks hit a match-high .389 in the final frame, with Moummad and Williams coming through with timely kills. Hunter's defense, led by Tomaneng's steady play and Dugan's match-high 39 digs, stifled Emmanuel's attack, sealing the victory 15-7.
Izabella Williams led the charge for the Hawks with a team-high 15 kills on a whopping 67 attempts. Though her hitting percentage was modest at .075, her powerful swings and clutch points were crucial in tight moments. Williams also contributed three service aces and 17 digs, showcasing her all-around impact on the game. Amina Moummad matched Williams' kill count with 15 of her own, adding 27 digs. While she struggled with 10 hitting errors, her relentless effort on both ends of the court helped Hunter secure the win, with her defense being pivotal in keeping Emmanuel's attack at bay.
Lily Mattison was highly efficient at the net, posting 11 kills with a .261 hitting percentage and tying for the team lead with five block assists. Her ability to contribute offensively and defensively kept Emmanuel off-balance throughout the match. Meanwhile, Bethany Tomaneng was a force in the middle, hammering down 6 kills without a single error on 15 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage. Tomaneng also chipped in with 34 assists, keeping Hunter's offense flowing smoothly, while adding 16 digs and a trio of block assists.
Xheni Doci stood out in limited action, recording fou kills on five attempts for a stellar .800 hitting percentage in just two sets of play. She also tallied 14 assists, helping Hunter maintain its offensive rhythm during crucial moments.
The Hawks will look to build on this momentum as they continue their season tomorrow in a tri-match in Wayne, NJ, where they face off against William Paterson at 11:00 a.m. and Regis College at 1:00 p.m.
