Women’s volleyball tops Saint Peter’s 3-1 for its third consecutive win.
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Emmanouel Sofillas, Sports Editor
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s volleyball took down the Saint Peter’s Peacocks this past Friday, Oct. 16 with a final score of 3-1, earning the Jaspers their third straight win for the first time since 2023.
The Jaspers jumped out early in the first set, scoring eight of the first 11 points behind a joint block from sophomore middle blocker Helenn Montilla and redshirt junior outside hitter Mikalah Curran.
The Peacocks pulled within three at 16-13, but a service ace from senior middle blocker Abby Morreale finished a three-point run to put MU up 19-13. Sophomore outside hitter Emma Francesconi landed the final kill, closing the set 25-21.
MU carried that momentum into the second set, as junior setter Ori Briger served back-to-back aces for a 13-6 lead. A five-point stretch midway through the set pushed the advantage to 21-12, and the Jaspers took four of the last five points to win the set 25-15.
The third set began as a toss-up between the Jaspers and Peacocks, with neither team leading by more than three through the first 10 points on each side. Saint Peter’s responded with six straight points to take a 15-11 lead, later growing it to 19-14 off a service ace.
Francesconi and sophomore right side Hanna Kaczynska, set up by senior setter Emilia Kuzniar, brought MU back to tie the set at 22-22. The teams tied once more at 23, but the Peacocks took the final two points to win the set 25-23.
The fourth set started evenly until the Jaspers rallied for five straight points, doubling up the Peacocks at 16-8. Another ace from Morreale stretched the lead to 18-9, and senior Katie Powers logged the final kill to take the set 25-16 and the match 3-1.
Curran led the Jaspers with a season-high 12 kills, while Morreale and Montilla combined for 13 blocks. MU hit a season-best .536 in the fourth set, and Kuzniar recorded a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs.
Men’s Soccer
MU’s men’s soccer team traveled to Jersey City, N.J. this past Wednesday, Oct. 14, taking down the Saint Peter’s Peacocks in a game of 1-0 for the Jaspers’ first conference win of the season.
The match began with back-to-back shots on target from freshman midfielder Bjorn Asmundsson and sophomore forward Dohryien Lee within the first 15 minutes of play. The Peacocks soon found their footing, keeping the Jaspers on the defensive for the rest of the half.
Freshman goalkeeper Philip Isaksson, still searching for his first collegiate win, held strong in front of the net. He made five saves over the final 20 minutes of the half, bringing his total to seven as both teams went into the break scoreless.
Saint Peter’s kept pushing in the second half, with Isaksson turning away four more shots within the first nine minutes. In the 70th minute, Lee, who came on as a substitute, sent a shot past the right side of the Peacocks’ goalkeeper to log his first goal of the season and put MU ahead.
The Peacocks answered with a late surge of attempts, but Isaksson stopped every single one, holding off a Saint Peter’s attack that outshot the Jaspers 23-6.
The game ended with a final score of 1-0 and a clean sheet for the Jaspers. Isaksson recorded a career-high 13 saves, the highest single-game total by any goalkeeper in Metro play this season, as well as the most by a Jasper since Danny DiMarco’s 11 saves against Iona in 2021.