NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University volleyball team defeated Le Moyne College in a five-set frenzy at Pelz Gymnasium. The Owls improves to 13-4 on the season and 2-1 in the Northeast 10, while the Dolphins fall to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the NE10.

Five Owls collected double-digit kills, but it was freshman Layla Cortez (Miami, Fla.) and graduate student Gabriela Vazquez (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico) who led the attack for the Owls with 14 kills each. Cortez also chipped in 12 digs, while Vazquez added two blocks. Junior Gabriela Gaibur (Monroe, N.Y.) recorded a double-double of 21 digs and 13 kills, and also added in two blocks. Sophomore Taylor Jones (Middletown, N.Y.) registered 52 assists and 11 digs.

Senior Erika Benson (Kings Park, N.Y.) tallied 11 kills and four blocks, and graduate student Abigail Epstein (Crystal River, Fla.) had ten kills and two service aces.
 

Set Scores
Set 1: SCS 25, LEM 17	Set 4: SCS 25, LEM 16
Set 2: LEM 25, SCS 22	Set 5: SCS 15, LEM 8
Set 3: LEM 25, SCS 23

How It Happened

• The first set of the match began with both teams trading points. SCSU used a late set 9-2 run to pick up set one.
• The second set was a back-and-forth affair that saw no team have more than a three point lead until Le Moyne led 17-12. Southern came back to tie it at 18, but the Dolphins outscored Southern 7-3 to take set two. 
• Set three was also highly contested, but Le Moyne broke through with four consecutive points to take a 21-17 lead and held on to a narrow two-point victory. 
• With the Owls needing a win in the fourth set, they jumped out to a 6-2 advantage and increased it to 10-5. Le Moyne cut the lead to 12-11, but Southern rattled off five straight points and seven of the next eight to take a 19-12 lead. After three straight Le Moyne points, Southern scored six of the final seven to force a decisive fifth set. 
• Southern took control early in the final set, and led 8-4 before a Le Moyne timeout. Southern then increased their lead to 12-5, and hung on for the comeback victory. 

 
Notes

• Jones' 52 assists were the fifth most in a game in program history, and the most since Tea Carter also had 52 against University of New Haven on Nov. 6, 2019. 
• Jones became the third player in program history to have at least 50 assists in a game twice in their careers. She joined Kimberly Lachowicz (seven times) and Téa Carter (five times). Alexandra Nimz and Alexandria Jurgens are the only Southern players with at least 50 assists in a game, doing so once.  
• Jones also recorded her fourth double-double of the season. 
• Cortez's 14 kills were the second most in a game she has had in her career and this season. She had 15 against Bridgeport on Sept. 11. 
• Cortez set a new career-high with 12 digs and recorded her first career double-double. 
• Gaibur has recorded at least 10 kills in seven consecutive games and in 13 of her 17 games played this season. 
• Gaibur's 21 digs were a season-high, and her third career 20-dig game. She had 24 against New Haven on Nov. 6, 2019 and 20 against Assumption on Nov. 9, 2019.
• Gaibur recorded her 13th double-double of the season and her seventh consecutive. She becomes the first Southern player with seven consecutive double-doubles since Leanna Jadus had eight straight from Nov. 1-Nov. 30, 2017. 
• Benson's 11 kills were a new season-high and the second most she has had in a game in her career. She had 12 on Sept. 6, 2019 against Dominican and Ot. 29, 2019 against Adelphi. 
• Kacey Deecher (Granby, Mass.) recorded a career-high nine digs. 
• Southern has won nine consecutive home games to begin the season for the first time since 2009, when they began the season 11-0 at Pelz Gymnasium. 

 
Up Next
The Owls will host Stonehill College on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at Pelz Gymnasium.