COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's volleyball team split a tri-match on Sunday at the Ross Sports Center, losing to Roberts Wesleyan University, 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 26-24), before rebounding for a 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 15-11) win over Post University. In between, Post swept Roberts Wesleyan, 3-0.

MATCH FACTS

• The Purple Knights met both Post and Roberts Wesleyan for the first time.
• Saint Michael's registered 8.0 blocks during both matches while its opponents combined for only 5.0 all day.

Roberts Wesleyan Match
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-6), Roberts Wesleyan (8-2)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Alexandra Báez Rentas (San Juan, Puerto Rico/New Dimensions), 37 assists, 14 digs, 6 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces
• Senior Aaliyah Huihui-Martinez (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame), 11 digs
• Senior Jillian Orth (Bourne, Mass./Bourne), 10 digs, 4 aces
• Junior Dana Welch (Howell, N.J./Donovan Catholic), 11 kills, 3 blocks
• Sophomore Grace Almeida (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), 12 kills, 4 blocks
• Sophomore Kyla Farnan (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle), 23 digs, 2 aces
• First-year D'Niaya Settles (Ames, Iowa/Ames), 9 kills, 8 digs

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Sydney Yanak, 19 kills, 12 digs, 4 aces
• Junior Olivia Price, 16 kills, 15 digs
• Junior Caleigh Schroeder, 41 assists, 27 digs

THE ACTION

• Settles' kill staked Saint Michael's to a 5-1 lead in the opening set before the Redhawks countered with a go-ahead 7-2 run. Six of the next seven points went to the hosts, who led 13-9, but Yanak put down a pair of kills in an 11-3 response, making it 20-16. After first-year Nora Schulze's (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) kill brought her team within 20-19, Yanak had a pair of kills in a clinching 5-0 run.
• Welch's kill had her team up 3-1 in the second set before four kills from Price keyed a 16-3 run. Down 17-6, Saint Michael's outscored the Redhawks, 61-55, during the remainder of the match, including drawing within five points twice in the late stages of the second set. Almeida's kill made it 23-18 before an error and Schroeder's kill provided the visitors a 2-0 lead.
• Almeida's kill put Saint Michael's ahead 3-2 in set No. 3, snapping the only tie, as the Purple Knights maintained the lead for the remainder of the set.
• The fourth set featured 13 ties and five lead changes, as neither team led by more than three points. Schulze's kill had her team up 22-20 before it faced set point at 24-23 following a Redhawk error, but the visitors netted the final three points of the match.

Post Match
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (3-6), Post (5-6)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Almeida, 13 kills, 6 blocks, 2 aces, .480 hitting
• Báez Rentas, 45 assists, 26 digs, 7 kills
• Farnan, 20 digs, 7 assists, 4 aces
• Schulze, 12 kills
• Settles, 14 kills
• Welch, 14 kills

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Graduate student Sara Enright, 15 kills, 12 digs
• Graduate student Izabella Rae, 19 assists
• Senior Maria Fernanda Branco, 18 assists
• Senior Caley Harper, 11 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces
• Junior Alyssa Groves, 30 digs, 4 aces

THE ACTION

• Welch dropped four kills in a 7-0 run that provided Saint Michael's a 14-9 lead in the opening set, but Enright's two kills highlighted her team's 8-0 counter. After the hosts twice rallied to tie, Post nabbed a 22-19 lead and fended off the Purple Knights rallying within one point three times down the stretch to grab the set on Enright's clinching kill.
• Settles notched kills for her team's first two points in the second set, with the 2-1 lead one the Purple and Gold never relinquished. Up only 9-8, a key 5-0 run that featured two kills and a block by Almeida created breathing room.
• Post led 9-4 on Groves' kill in set No. 3 prior to 14 of the next 17 points going to Saint Michael's, with Almeida and Settles combining for three aces.
• Schulze's kill created a 16-14 lead in the fourth set, but Groves' three aces keyed a 6-0 response, and the Purple Knights never again trailed by fewer than three points.
• In the fifth and deciding set, neither team led by more than two points until Báez Rentas stepped to the service line with her team holding a 7-6 edge. She picked up a kill for the next point and followed with an ace, and an ensuing Post error created a four-point cushion. The Eagles crept within two points three times, including at 13-11 on graduate student Kristina Peric's kill, but a service error was followed by Almeida and Báez Rentas partnering for a tandem block at match point.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MATCH

• Friday against University of Bridgeport (3 p.m.) and American International College (5:30 p.m.) at AIC-hosted International Volleyball Hall of Fame East Region Clash.
• AIC and Bridgeport both qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament.