NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College women's volleyball team split its first tri-match of the season, defeating Mount Saint Mary's (N.Y.) in four sets, before falling to Saint Elizabeth in the second match in a five-set thriller.

Against MSMC, Majo Pelaez (Armenia, Colombia) had 25 kills, 27 digs and four aces across the two matches for Albertus. Savanna Smith (New Haven, Conn.) had 28 assists in her first career match and Alexys Signor (North Haven, Conn.) had a team-high 22 digs against MSMC.

Nyanna Richards (Bridgeport, Conn.) had a career-high nine kills against MSMC, followed by seven more in the second match. Shalese Gordon (Bridgeport, Conn.) led the Falcons with 14 assists against Saint Elizabeth.

Sophie Cseszko (Magnolia, TX) had seven kills and two aces against Saint Elizabeth

THE BASICS

MATCH 1: Albertus Magnus 3 | Mount Saint Mary's (NY) 1

MATCH 2: Saint Elizabeth 3 | Albertus 2

MATCH 1 vs. Mount Saint Mary's  (MSMC)

SET 1: MSMC 25 | Albertus 22

SET 2: Albertus 27 | MSMC 25

SET 3: Albertus 25 | MSMC 18

SET 4: Albertus 25 | MSMC 19

BOX

RECORDS: Albertus (1-0) | MSMC (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A tightly contested first set saw neither team able to separate themselves as the Falcons and Knights split the first 29 points of the set without either team taking larger than a two-point lead. Six different players had a kill during the first 29 points of the first set, including Yarieshka Sierra (Hartford, Conn.) with two.The Knights scored four straight points to take a 19-14 lead, the biggest of the set, but the Falcons rallied to get within 23-22. However, a kill from Julianna Simone and an ace by Jonaiya Williams gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the set. 
• Pelaez had two kills early in the second set to stake the Falcons to a 6-4 lead. However, a 6-0 run from the Knights, including an ace by Jaylyn Knight put them up 11-8. The Falcons briefly took a one point lead after an ace from Cseszko, making it 16-15. Albertus found itself one point away from being down two sets after the Knights took a 24-23 lead, but kills by Richards and Pelaez put the Falcons back up 25-24. MSMC tied the set on the next point, but an error by the Knights and an ace by Cseszko closed out the set and tied the match, 1-1.
• It was the same story in the third set as the teams were tied 13-13 halfway through the set as Pelaez and Richards led the way with three kills apiece early on. The Falcons scored the next five points including back-to-back kills from Pelaez on assists from Smith to make it an 18-13 game. Albertus was able to pull away with a 25-18 set win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Pelaez had six kills in the set, while Richards had three.
• Albertus trailed 13-11 in the fourth set, but a kill and two aces from Cseszko sparked a 7-0 run from the Falcons to take an 18-13 lead. Kills from Smith and Pelaez put Albertus up 22-14. The Knights crept back to within four at 23-19, but kills from Ayanna Hubbard (West Haven, Conn.) and Smith closed out the match for the Falcons.

LEADERS

Albertus

• Majo Pelaez - 15 Kills
• Savanna Smith - 27 Assists
• Alexys Signor - 22 Digs
• Sophie Cseszko - 5 Aces
• Paula Matheus - 3 Blocks

MSMC

• Jonaiya Williams - 13 Kills
• Sofia Fredericks - 11 Assists
• Julianna Simone - 18 Digs
• Aubriana Boyce and Jaylyn Knight - 3 Aces
• Jonaiya Williams and Ava DiScala - 2 Blocks

MATCH 2

Saint Elizabeth 3 | Albertus 2

SET 1: Albertus 25 | Saint Elizabeth 19

SET 2: Albertus 25 | Saint Elizabeth 15

SET 3: Saint Elizabeth 25 | Albertus 16

SET 4: Saint Elizabeth 25 | Albertus 15

SET 5: Saint Elizabeth 15 | Albertus 10

BOX

RECORDS: Albertus (1-1) | Saint Elizabeth (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons stormed out to an 11-6 lead in the first set behind five kills from five different players and three consecutive aces by Pelaez. The Eagles got to within one point, but two kills from Matheus put Albertus back up 19-15.Albertus led by as much as seven points after back-to-back kills by Richards and Cseszko, taking a 24-17 lead. A service error by the Eagles closed out the set for Albertus as it took a 1-0 lead in the match.
• Albertus took control in the second set, breaking a 6-6 tie and going on an 11-2 run to take a 17-8 lead behind two aces from Paula Matheus (Tunja-Boyaca, Colombia) and one from Gordon and kills from Pelaez, Richards and Cseszko. Albertus was never threatened the rest of the way, scoring the final three points of the set, the last on a kill from Cseszko.
• The Eagles rally started in the third set as they scored the first 11 points. Albertus cut the deficit to 13-7 after three straight kills, including two from Pelaez. Albertus would not get any closer the rest of the way as the Eagles had seven service aces in the set, including three from Marissa Heimbaugh as they took the third set, 25-16.
• The fourth set started similarly to the previous set as the Eagles took a 9-2 lead early on behind four more aces from Heimbaugh. Albertus got back to within six points at 13-7, but did not threaten Saint Elizabeth in the set. Pelaez had two kills for the Falcons in the set.
• In the deciding fifth set, the Falcons scored the first three points that included a kill from Richards. Saint Elizabeth rallied to tie the match at 4-4 behind two kills from Mia Gonzales. The two teams were tied at 7-7, but consecutive attack errors by Albertus put the Eagles back up 9-7. Albertus got to within one point once more, but two kills from Dadlyna Louis and one from Gonzales completed the comeback for the Eagles.

LEADERS

Albertus

• Majo Pelaez - 13 Kills
• Shalese Gordon - 14 Assists
• Da'Veona Parker - 12 Digs
• Majo Pelaez - 3 Aces
• Nyanna Richards and Sophie Cseszko - 2 Blocks

Saint Elizabeth

• Dadlyna Louis - 11 Kills
• E. Menaling Trajano  - 20 Assists
• Alyssa Wells - 15 Digs
• Marissa Heimbaugh - 7 Aces
• Sophie Galchus - 5 Blocks

NOTEWORTHY

• The Falcons have won their first match in each of the last three seasons.

UP NEXT

The Falcons travel to Purchase State on Thursday, September 4th for their first road test, beginning at 6 p.m.