Riverdale, N.Y. – The College of Mount Saint Vincent Women's Volleyball team scored a 3-1 victory in its season opener on Friday evening over Keystone by set scores of 25-19, 25-14, 22-25 and 25-20. Morganne Booker (East Providence, R.I) and Kristine DeMasi (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each posted eight kills, while Allison Regan (Carmel, N.Y.) totaled four total blocks.
 
The first set on Friday opened with eight ties, before the Mount opened an 18-12 lead with a 7-1 run. The spurt was aided by six attack errors from Keystone who finished the night hitting just -.057 as a unit. The Dolphins finished the opening stanza with 11 winners, the most they would put away in any set of the night.
 
The Mount took control of the second set in the early going and used a 12-0 run with Kaitlyn Gaynor (Island Park, N.Y.) serving to open a 16-3 advantage. The Giants would get as close as 22-14 in the late stages of the stanza, before the Dolphins claimed the final three points of the frame to jump in front 2-0.
 
Keystone would flip the script in the third set on Friday and ran off seven of the first eight points to open a comfortable early lead. The Dolphins would battle back to tie the score at 20-20 late on a Regan service ace, but saw the Giants take five of the final seven points to get back to within a set overall at 2-1.
 
After dropping the third set, Mount Saint Vincent regrouped to take the deciding stanza after jumping out to an early 7-0 lead. Booker and DeMasi keyed the run with back-to-back kills to open the frame and the Dolphins again used four Keystone attack errors to open the advantage.
 
The Giants would force a Mount Saint Vincent timeout at 19-13 in the fourth after a 5-0 run, but a kill and service ace from Ashleigh Scozzari (New Rochelle, N.Y.) helped the Mount hold on for their initial victory of the season.
 
The Dolphins used a balanced offensive attack on Friday that featured nine players with at least one kill and five players with at least five winners. Booker finished the night with eight winners and three total blocks, while DeMasi tied for the team lead in kills and also lifted 18 defensive digs.
 
Several Dolphins had strong outings in their debuts in the blue and gold, including Regan who finished the strong all-around match with five kills, a match-high five service aces, five digs and a match-high four total blocks.
 
Carly Jenkinson (Pacifica, Calif.) led all players with 24 digs, while Scorzzari posted five kills. Erika Moncada (Yonkers, N.Y.) also had a strong night with six kills and four digs, with Zana Daluz (Pawtucket, R.I.) handing out a match-high 31 assists.
 
Keystone was led on the night by six kills and 19 digs from Shelby Morgan and received three aces apiece from Loryn Haas and Danielle Cedeno. Carol Mosier was the Giants' leader in assists with 21.
 
At 1-0 on the season overall, Mount Saint Vincent will play its next four matches away from home starting with a non-conference match at Vassar on September 5. Match time in Poughkeepsie is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.