WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 28, 2021) -- Despite dropping the second set of the match, the King's College women's volleyball team rallied to take the final two sets, including a dominating 25-12 performance in set four, as they defeated the visiting FDU-Florham Devils, 3-1, in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play on Tuesday evening in McGrane Gymnasium. With the win, the Monarchs improve to 11-1 overall, 2-1 in the MAC Freedom, while the Devils drop to 7-7 overall, 0-4 in the MAC Freedom.

The match was a thriller from the start in front of an electric crowd in McGrane Gymnasium.  In an opening set that saw five ties and two lead changes, King's jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but FDU used a 6-1 rally to pull ahead, 8-6. The Monarchs tied the set, 9-9, on a Devils error before giving up a 3-2 run from FDU to trail, 13-11. King's finally strung a rally together, scoring nine of the next 11 points in the set, leading 20-15. FDU made a final push to pull within one, 20-19, but the Monarchs took advantage of three Devils' errors to win the opening set, 25-20.

King's seemed to keep the momentum going in the second set, leading 9-6 early, but FDU rallied, tying the match at 15 off a kill from Sophia Miskulin, as part of a 12-2 rally that ended the set with the Devils on top, 25-17.

Arguably the most exciting set of the match came in the third set, featuring nine ties and four lead changes in the stretch. King's led again to start, 5-2, off a kill from senior Danielle Kitchner, but the Devils recorded the next five points as the scoreboard read, 7-5. It was a back-and-forth effort down the stretch with neither team leading by more than three points before the Monarchs got back-to-back kills from senior Wiatt Hoffmann and junior Kayla Sondberg to give the hosts the cushion they needed to win the third set, 25-22, and take the 2-1 lead in the match.

The Monarchs took control of the final set of the match, jumping out to a 10-4 lead that the Devils could not overcome as King's won the fourth set, 25-12, and the match, 3-1.
Kitchner had herself a game, recording a career-high tying and a match-high 14 kills on 28 attempts, hitting .357, with a career-best 8.0 total blocks, including six block assists. Fellow-senior Olivia Bunch added 13 kills and nine digs, while Hoffmann had a solid all-around performance, posting a double-double with 41 assists and 17 digs. Senior Karissa Hartzell also totaled a career-best effort with 26 digs to lead the defense, while senior Toni Galasso added 11. First year Emily Scott was huge off the bench for the Monarchs, adding five kills and four total blocks, and senior Cleo Schultz provided eight kills and three total blocks.

The Devils were led by Adrienne DeFuria with 11 kills, Erin Ahart added 21 helpers, and Jessica Garreffa totaled 18 digs.

King's led the game with a .194 hitting percentage while holding FDU to just .043 in the four-setter. The Monarchs held the advantage in the stat sheet in kills (48-43), assists (46-42), digs (73-61), and total blocks (12.0-4.0) to help earn the MAC Freedom win.

The Monarchs continue their home stretch as they host a tri-match on Saturday, October 2 starting at 11:00 a.m. in McGrane Gymnasium. King's will play Penn College at 11 before hosting Brooklyn College at 3:00 p.m.