LOUDONVILLE, NY – Riding a seven-match winning streak heading into the match Sunday, the Siena Volleyball team continued their hot streak in the MAAC. The Saints extended that winning streak to eight matches, defeating the Iona Gaels by a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-20) final score – clinching the match with a 10-0 run in the third set.
Siena continues their longest winning streak since 2014, when the Saints won nine matches in a row – a streak that led the Saints through the MAAC Championship en route to their last appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With today's win, the Saints take sole possession of second place in the MAAC, moving to a 9-3 league record.
Senior
Gracie Halley set a new season-high with 29 digs, while junior
Hailey Hinkel led the offense with 11 kills. Sophomore
Sara Wagner notched her sixth double-double of the season – and third in a row. Graduate student
Emily Wunder also collected eight kills, while
Claire Isaksen tossed out 28 assists. Iona's Morgan Madasz led the Gaels with nine kills while Hope Matschner collected 27 digs.
The Saints started strong, putting up their match-best .375 attack percentage as they topped the Gaels by their largest margin of the match. A trio of Saints – Wunder, Wagner, and Hinkel – all had four kills apiece after that first frame. The Green and Gold, trailing 12-10 midway through, ran off a 10-1 run to take a 20-13 lead which aided their win.
Up 1-0, Siena continued that momentum into the second as they led by as many as nine points with a 20-11 lead. Iona clawed back into the set before the Saints shut the door scoring three of the final four rallies of the frame to go up 2-0. However, Iona turned things up in the third as they jostled for advantage.
The Gaels pulled out to a 19-15 lead before a big block from Hinkel and
Ece Emrullah brought the score to 19-16. That block would begin the Saints' second 10-1 run of the match – leading them into a 25-20 final for the set, giving them the match sweep.
Siena returns to action Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. when they take on the league's top team – Fairfield – on the road in midweek action.
