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Canisius University Athletics

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Team celebrates a point vs YSU at the Koessler Athletic Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Sam Hughes
3
Winner Canisius Canis 7-9,3-2 MAAC
2
Saint Peter's SP 3-8,1-4 MAAC
Winner
Canisius Canis
7-9,3-2 MAAC
3
Final
2
Saint Peter's SP
3-8,1-4 MAAC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Canisius Canis 23 25 25 20 16 (3)
Saint Peter's SP 25 20 18 25 14 (2)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Sam Hughes

Volleyball Downs Saint Peter's in Five Sets

Four Golden Griffins posted double-digit kills to pace Canisius to a 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 16-14) victory over Saint Peter's at Yanitelli Center on Sunday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action.
 
The Griffs improved to 7-9 overall and 3-2 in MAAC play with the five-set win. The Peacocks, meanwhile, slipped to 3-8 on the season and 1-4 in conference action with the setback.
 
Senior Kara Zaucha led the way with a double-double as she tallied a team-high 17 kills and 16 digs while recording a team-best four total blocks. Graduate student Sofia Hedqvist joined Zaucha with a double-double, adding 16 kills while sophomore Lauren Hubert supplemented with 15. Junior Bella Mosquera rounded out the Golden Griffins offense with 10 kills on 35 attempts en route to a match-best .571 hitting efficiency.  Junior Ella Bourque dished out 51 assists while senior Jillian Hanna paced the Griffs on defense with 17 digs.
 
Maliyah LaBrie notched a match-best 22 kills for the Peacocks while Valeria Pagan Munoz tallied 16 digs in the loss. Elena Bilhartz lead the Peacocks defensively with six blocks in the contest.
 
"It was good to see us grind out a win," Canisius head coach Tom Hanna said. "We did some okay things and some really good things at points. It's a good win to take us back above .500 in the MAAC."
 
MATCH RECAP
Despite the Griffs hitting .387 in the opening frame, Saint Peter's escaped with a 25-23 victory. In a set that saw 16 tie scores and 12 lead changes, Penelope Rivera tallied two straight kills to close out the set for the Peacocks.
 
Canisius responded with a 25-20 win in the second set to even the match at 1-1. The Griffs ended the set on a 5-1 run, which included three kills from Zaucha, to even the match. 
 
Canisius led wire-to-wire in the third frame, jumping out to an early 10-4 lead before Zaucha hammered home a kill on set point to claim a 25-18 victory and put the Griffs in front.
 
The Peacocks forced a fifth set with a 25-20 win in the fourth. The Griffs held a 13-10 advantage before Saint Peter's fought back to take the lead.
 
Canisius jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the deciding set before the Peacocks battled back to tie the set at 11-11. The teams exchanged points before consecutive kills from Hedqvist closed the door on the Peacocks, lifting the Griffs to a 16-14 victory and the match. 
 
MATCH NOTES
• Zaucha's 17 kills and 16 digs marked her fifth straight double-double and ninth of the season. Her 17 kills represented the 11th time she has notched double-digit kills.
• Canisius improves to a 41-15 all-time record against the Peacocks.
• Ella Bourque dished out 50-or-more assists for the third time this season and has tallied 25-or-more assists in each of the Griffs' last five matches. 
• Sunday's contest was the Griffs' third match of the season to go five sets. They improved to 2-1 in those matches. 
 
UP NEXT
Canisius returns to the court Oct. 12 when its hosts MAAC-newcomer Sacred Heart at the Koessler Athletic Center. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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