New York, NY– Behind a balanced offensive attack, dominant play at the service line and a strong defensive effort, the John Jay College women's volleyball team earned a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16) victory over CUNY Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) rival Baruch College on Tuesday evening at the ARC Arena.
With the victory, the Bloodhounds improved to 6-15 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while the Bearcats dropped to 11-10 on the season and 2-2 against league opponents.
Emilia Cascapera spearheaded the John Jay attack, delivering a match-high 11 kills on an impressive .563 hitting percentage while adding four service aces, seven digs and a block assist. Cascapera finished with a match-high 15.5 points to lead the Bloodhounds.
Hailey Waugaman contributed seven kills, three digs and a service ace, while
Kynzie MacInnes added five kills, seven digs and three aces.
Madison Mullan provided a strong all-around performance, registering three kills without an attack error, four service aces and five total blocks.
Ansley Hobson directed the offense with a match-high 23 assists while contributing three kills, two aces and four blocks.
Defensively,
Lizbeth Martinez anchored the back row with a team-high eight digs and three service aces, while
Shamyra Herrera chipped in three blocks.
John Jay controlled the statistical battle, outhitting Baruch .275 to .032 while holding advantages in kills (30-17), service aces (17-10), total blocks (8-3), assists (28-15) and digs (27-22).
The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle as both teams traded points throughout the early stages. John Jay held a narrow 12-10 advantage before Baruch responded with an eight-point surge to take an 18-12 lead. Facing a six-point deficit, the Bloodhounds began mounting their comeback behind Cascapera and Mullan. Cascapera delivered a crucial kill to halt the Bearcats' momentum before Mullan recorded a pair of service aces during a four-point stretch that trimmed the deficit to 18-17.
Baruch maintained a 21-19 advantage late in the frame, but John Jay responded with six consecutive points to complete the comeback. MacInnes delivered a timely kill to even the score at 21 before Martinez stepped to the service line and recorded consecutive aces to give the visitors a 23-21 advantage. A combined block from Hobson and Mullan brought the Bloodhounds to set point before MacInnes sealed the 25-21 victory with a kill off an assist from Hobson.
The Bloodhounds carried their momentum into the second frame, racing out to a 7-2 advantage behind consecutive service aces from Hobson and MacInnes. John Jay extended its lead to 9-3 following an ace from Mullan, but the Bearcats answered with a seven-point run to even the score at 10. The teams continued exchanging points throughout the middle stages, with Baruch eventually building a 20-18 advantage. Refusing to surrender the lead in the match, the Bloodhounds mounted another late rally.
Waugaman delivered a kill to pull John Jay within one before Herrera followed with a kill to even the score at 20. A combined block from Hobson and Herrera gave the Bloodhounds a 21-20 advantage. Cascapera followed with a kill, and Waugaman added a service ace to push the lead to 23-20. After Baruch pulled within two at 24-22, Mullan delivered the finishing kill to secure the 25-22 victory and give John Jay a commanding two-set advantage.
With the sweep within reach, John Jay delivered its strongest performance of the evening in the final frame. After the teams battled to a 4-4 tie, the Bloodhounds seized control behind Mullan's presence at the service line and strong offensive contributions from Waugaman and Cascapera. Mullan recorded a service ace during a four-point stretch that helped John Jay build a 9-4 advantage.
The Bloodhounds continued to maintain control, extending their lead to 14-8 following a block from Mullan and Hobson and an ace from Martinez.
Holding a 17-14 advantage, Cascapera took over from the service line, delivering three consecutive aces as part of a five-point run that stretched the John Jay lead to 22-14. The Bloodhounds never looked back, closing out the contest with a 25-16 victory as Hobson delivered the match-clinching kill.
Cascapera's 11 kills led all players, while Hobson's 23 assists paced the match. Martinez led John Jay with eight digs, and Mullan's five blocks highlighted the defensive effort.
For Baruch, Sarah Sellami finished with a team-high five kills, while Erica Peralta added four. Karen Pozo Castro distributed 12 assists, and Pei Qiong Ren recorded five digs.
The Bloodhounds will welcome Lehman to The Doghouse on Thursday evening.
