WILKES-BARRE, PA (OCTOBER 21, 2023) -- The King's College women's volleyball team split their last home tri-match of the season on senior day. The Monarchs swept the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark (9-13) 3-0 Saturday afternoon. The squad fell 3-2 in a thrilling five set match against the Lions of Albright (15-8). King's is now 14-9 overall and 1-4 in conference play. 

vs. Rutgers-Newark - W, 3-0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-14):
The Monarchs controlled much of the first set as they took a 22-8 lead that included kills by Joy Kindall (So.), Bella Salvia (So.), Kathy Shepherd (So.), and Emily Scott (Sr.). Rutgers-Newark would try to create some momentum with a final kill by Maryann Ijeh, making the score 23-10. King's remained composed and won 25-10 after a kill by Emma Monson (Jr.).

The start of the second set was a battle as both opponents traded points trying to break free from one another. It was 4-4 when the Monarchs made a 21-6 jolt that comprised of numerous players adding to the stat sheet. King's bested the Scarlet Raiders 25-10. 

The third and final set of the matchup was much like the first and the Monarchs had a 17-7 cushion. The Scarlet Raiders pestered King's with a 5-1 run to make it 18-12. After a timeout by the Monarchs, the unit made a lasting 7-2 burst with the help of kills by Monson, Shepherd, and Madisyn Heiser-Elsea (Fy.). King's remained victorious and ended the set 25-14. 

King's had 38 kills on 37 assists, five aces, 42 digs, and a hitting percentage of .278. Shepherd fueled the offense with nine kills and a hitting percentage of .600. Adriana Conforti (Jr.) dished out 20 assists and Morgan Williams (So.) sparked the defense with 13 digs. 

Rutgers-Newarks' Mia Espinoza and Ijeh had six kills each for the Scarlet Raiders. Angelyse Orellana had 11 out of her team's 16 assists. Kaiel Maynor and Elvin Karakaya ended the afternoon with their own six digs. 

vs. Albright - L, 2-3 (16-25, 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 9-15):
The first set was neck-and-neck with both teams not allowing more than two points. The score was 7-7 when Albright constructed a 6-2 run to take the lead 15-9. Once again, both adversaries went point for point through the remainder of the opening set. The Lions eventually won 25-16.

The second set was a nail biter as the score tied 11 different times. It was 14-14 when King's broke free with five straight unanswered points that included tallies by Kathy Shepherd (So.), Emma Monson (Jr.), and Joy Kindall (So.). Albright tried to gain some momentum, but with two final kills by Theresa Lynch (So.) and Kindall, the Monarchs took the second set 25-21.

The third set was much like the second, but the Monarchs controlled much of the match. With a final kill by Lindsay Arezina (Fy.), King's won 25-23. 

The Lions had a 10-5 jolt to begin the fourth set. The Monarchs created an 8-3 run to tie it at 13-13 that comprised of kills by Monson, Shepherd, Madison Heiser-Elsea (Fy.), and Arezina. The two squads continued to clash in the final moments, but with six straight points Albright pushed it to a fifth set and bested the Monarchs 25-21. 

It was a must win condition for both sides. Neither team was willing to go down without a fight in the fifth and final set of the evening. Every time the Monarchs scored, the Lions would have an answer. King's made a tremendous 4-1 leap, but Albright stood victorious after a kill by Sophie Hampton. The Lions won 15-9. 

The Monarchs ended with 52 kills, 48 assists, eight aces, 87 digs, and a hitting percentage of .128. Kindall had 14 kills and Shepherd followed with her own 10. Adriana Conforti (Jr.) had a career high of 24 assists with Keely Hoban (Jr.) having her own 21. Morgan Williams (So.) sparked the defense with 23 digs and Morgan Bryant added 20 to the stat line. 

King's are back on the road next week to take on Misericordia at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 24^th for a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom bout. The crew will travel to Hackettstown, NJ to faceoff Centenary at 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 28^th. For their last home match of the season, the Monarchs will be back in McGrane Gymnasium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1^st for a MAC Freedom matchup against FDU-Florham.