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October 21, 2015Saints Dig Deep, Down Marist in Four
Reigning MAAC Player of the Week Briana Flagg tied a career-high with 21 kills, and Kalehua Katagiri posted a career-best 28 digs helping Siena fly past Marist in four exciting sets Saturday in Loudonville.
The contest was a rematch of last year’s MAAC Championship match, which Siena (10-8, 7-2) won in five sets.
Junior setter Haley Howell had her ninth double-double of the season by the end of the second set. She finished with 43 assists, 14 digs, three blocks and two kills. Flagg rounded out her eighth double-double with 11 digs.
Not to be out-done, sophomore Samantha Pethokoukis boasted a career-high 13 kills without an error in the middle, and Christina Monroe finished off eight of her 13 swings to go along with five blocks, including the game-winner.
It was a total team effort, and the Saints needed every bit of it.
Marist (13-8, 6-4) had set point in each of the first two sets, but couldn’t convert. Flagg put Siena up 26-25 in the first set with a kill, and Erin Bies followed with an ace to end it. In the second set, Flagg wound up for three straight kills with Siena trailing 25-24 to make it 2-0 at intermission.
Lexi Millington served Marist on an 8-0 run after the Saints won the first point of the third set, and the Foxes rolled to a 25-18 win to inch closer.
Marist led the fourth set 15-14 before Bobbi Lin Kalama ignited a 5-0 Siena run that turned the tide. The Saints never trailed again, but Marist got within two, and the decisive point was epic, lasting nearly a minute before Monroe denied Amanda Bradley’s attack.
Kelsey Ediger had 19 kills and Kelsey Lahey added 15 for Marist. Millington had 23 digs and three aces, her serve a key factor all match. The Red Foxes fell to 6-4 in the MAAC, but looked every bit the part of a team that will be back on this court fighting for a Championship in November.
Siena is off Sunday and plays its final non-league match at Binghamton Wednesday. The Saints host first place Rider and Saint Peter’s next weekend.
