The Siena Volleyball team finished out its 2023 campaign with a 3-0 defeat against Marist (19-25, 17-25, 18-25) on Saturday afternoon at the UHY Center.
The Saints (2-26, 2-16 MAAC) honored three student-athletes both in a pre-match tribute and after-match celebration.
Post-match included a special tribute video with the players, coaches and training staff all providing their favorite memories and well wishes to
Meghan Johnsson,
Monet Latunde and
Anny Montano on Senior Day.
Siena played another close match, but the Red Foxes (14-15, 12-6 MAAC) were able to play a more efficient game, finding floor space for a 46-28 advantage in kills.
Sasha van der Merwe, the MAAC leader in kills, had a banner performance with 21 kills while teammate Jordan Newblatt contributed with 13 kills.
In the opening set, Siena led 12-10 with a pair of kills from
Sonja Meyer and Latunde and were tied as late in the set as 17 all after another Meyer kill came off the feed from
Oliwia Majtyka.
Marist scored the next four points and five of six to take a 22-18 lead with two kills from Gabriella Heimbauer and an ace from Claire Lewis.
A kill by van der Merwe finished it out.
In set two, Marist jumped out to a 6-1 advantage before Siena rallied back to get within 9-8.
Sara Wagner registered a kill,
Sina Toroslu put down an ace and Marist committed an attack error to make it tight.
The Red Foxes sustained mini runs of 3-0, 4-0 and 3-0 to go ahead 21-13 behind van der Merwe, who had four kills in those spurts.
Marist closed the set on a kill by Mikayla Keefer.
In the third set, the teams played to a 4-4 tie before Marist won five of the next six points to go up 9-5.
Siena got within 13-11 on a kill by Meyer and an attacking error from Marist.
The Red Foxes won the next four points to increase the lead to 17-11 after a kill by Jordan Newblatt.
Meyer put down another kill from
Claire Isaksen and Toroslu served another ace to make it 17-13.
Wagner picked up a kill and two mistakes from Marist helped get the Saints within 19-16.
Two service error by Siena, kill by Emi Yakushev, two more kills from van der Merwe and an Siena attack error finished the match.
Meyer led the team in kills with seven, Latunde and Wagner each had six kills apiece and Johnsson led with 13 assists.
Emily Wood had a team-high 14 digs.
