Danielle Ponsiglione's 11 service aces were not enough against the Pioneers tonight.
William Paterson University scored a straight-set, 25-14, 25-11, 25-8, win over the College of Staten Island in women's volleyball action tonight, spoiling the Dolphins home opener under first-year head coach Melissa Quiles. The Dolphins are now 0-2 to start the season, while the Pioneers have run their season-opening win skein to 4-0.
The visitors were crisp from start to finish, earning a host of attacks and scoring blocks of points via the service. In the opener, WPU nursed a thin, 9-8, advantage, before the Pioneers called for timeout, and they regrouped to score the 25-14 win. The Pioneers whipped up 10 kills in the frame next to just two errors.
WPU was more effective in games two and three, out-killing the Dolphins, 17-10, and committing just four attack errors to the Dolphins' 16. In the meantime, the visitors piled up a game-total 17 service aces, compiling 24 assists to the Dolphins' 13.
Leading the way for WPU was Michelle Leeder, who gathered 9 kills to go with a pair of service aces and three digs. Jillian Bronowich was deadly behind the line, serving up 12 aces to go with four digs, while the Pioneers were paced defensively by Kim Runge who notched 12 digs next to five kills. The Dolphins were paced by Joanna Tepedino's five kills on 12 attempts. Danielle Ponsiglione garnered 11 of CSI's 13 service aces, while frosh Vasiliki Stergioula pulled off six digs.
The Dolphins return to action on Saturday afternoon to open their CUNYAC season. The team will travel to York College to face both Lehman College and John Jay College, beginning at 1pm. The games will be heard live on CSI SportsNet.