New York, NY – The top-seeded John Jay College women's volleyball team saw its 2026 campaign come to an end Thursday evening, falling to fourth-seeded Baruch College, 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-11, 25-15), in the semifinals of the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Women's Volleyball Championship at The Doghouse. The Bloodhounds, who entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after capturing a share of their second consecutive CUNYAC regular-season championship and searching for their third straight league title, concluded the season with a 9-20 overall record and a 6-1 mark in conference play. Baruch improved to 15-13 and advanced to the CUNYAC championship match as they will take on Hunter College, who defeated Brooklyn College, 3-1, in the second semifinals.
Recently crowned CUNYAC Player of the Year
Emilia Cascapera paced the Bloodhounds with a match-high 13 kills, three service aces and four digs. Senior
Hailey Waugaman and All-CUNYAC selection
Madison Mullan added five kills apiece, while Waugaman collected a team-best seven digs and Mullan contributed two service aces. All-Conference setter
Ansley Hobson directed the John Jay offense with 22 assists while adding five kills, three digs and a service ace.
Lizbeth Martinez chipped in six digs and three assists, while
Kynzie MacInnes finished with four kills and a service ace.
John Jay came out firing in the opening set, establishing an early 6-1 advantage behind kills from MacInnes and Mullan and service aces from Hobson and Waugaman. The Bloodhounds continued to dictate the tempo, extending their lead to 11-2 before pushing the margin to 20-10 following consecutive aces from Mullan. Baruch attempted to mount a late rally, trimming the deficit to 24-19, but Mullan delivered the decisive kill off a feed from Hobson to secure the 25-19 opening-set victory. John Jay hit .267 in the frame, recording 12 kills against just four attacking errors.
The Bearcats responded in the second set, using a five-point run to break an 8-8 deadlock and establish a 13-8 advantage. John Jay continued to battle, with Cascapera recording a pair of late kills and a service ace to help the Bloodhounds close the gap to 24-17. Baruch, however, secured the final point to even the match with a 25-17 decision. Baruch carried that momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 10-2 advantage before extending its lead to 19-6. The Bearcats capitalized on John Jay's offensive struggles, limiting the Bloodhounds to a negative .037 hitting percentage in the frame en route to a 25-11 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
Facing elimination, John Jay showed resilience in the fourth set. After trailing 10-4, the Bloodhounds mounted a spirited comeback, highlighted by two Cascapera kills and a Hobson finish during a four-point surge that brought the score to 10-8. John Jay continued its push, eventually drawing even at 11-11 following a Waugaman block. The Bearcats answered with a 6-1 run, fueled by their service pressure, to regain control at 17-12. Baruch maintained its advantage down the stretch and closed out the match with a 25-15 fourth-set victory.
Despite holding a 37-34 edge in total kills and a 32-27 advantage in assists, John Jay was unable to overcome Baruch's effectiveness from the service line. The Bearcats finished with 15 aces compared to eight for the Bloodhounds while also holding advantages in digs (34-25) and blocks (6-2).
Karolina Lundqvist led Baruch with 10 kills, four aces and seven digs, while Erica Peralta added seven kills. Karen Pozo Castro dished out 22 assists and registered four service aces.
