Final Stats

The Siena volleyball team controlled the stats and much of the match at preseason favorite Marist Saturday afternoon, but the Saints couldn't finish off the Red Foxes when it mattered most in a hard-to-swallow 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 28-26 and 26-24) setback that cost them first place in the conference standings.

The Saints had the lead at 22 in all four sets, and held a 24-20 advantage in the decisive fourth set before Marist stormed back behind the service of libero Brooke Zywick and blocked three Siena attacks before winning the match on Marisa Gilbert's kill.

Siena had 56 kills compared to 49 for Marist, and out-dug the Red Foxes handily, 75-53. The Red Foxes did manage 14 blocks, but Siena had 10 of its own.

The balanced Saints had four players in double figure kills, led by Jacqueline Skeen, Rachel Stoklosa, and Meghann Wright who each had 13. Sonja Vasovic finished with 10 kills and Samantha Pethokoukis added six.

Siena led the first set 22-16 before Marist won nine straight points behind the service of Amanda Schlegel to take the set 25-22. The Saints jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second set and never trailed in the only lopsided decision of the match, a 25-17 win.

Siena carried the momentum to a 6-2 lead in the third set, but Marist fought back to pull even at 8-8. Siena's 17-14 lead was the biggest either team would have the rest of the way. The Saints were up 25-24 after a Vasovic kill, but Mackenzie Stephens kept Marist alive with a kill on the next point. Stephens eventually found the floor again with the score knotted at 26-26 and the Red Foxes took the set on an attack error.

The fourth set was tied 20-20 when Erin Bies served the Saints to the brink of victory with four straight points. Marist got a block to take over the service on Siena's first set point, the first of six straight tallies to end the match.

Siena saw its five match losing streak come to an end, but certainly had to leave McCann Center feeling it can beat any team in the conference. Still, if the Saints are to turn the tables on Marist in Loudonvillle, and more importantly capture their ninth MAAC title next month at Disney, they'll have to finish the job.