Box Score

Purchase, NY (Sept. 11, 2012) – Head coach Bill Kutner exclaimed from the sideline: “That's the way we play volleyball!”

From the outset, the evening started on the right foot for the Purchase College women's volleyball team and ended strong as well, with the hosts handing Brooklyn College a 3-1 (25-18, 28-26, 17-25, 25-19) defeat. Coach Kutner was impressed from the sidelines as the Panthers improved to 1-2 in the non-conference matchup, topping 0-7 Brooklyn, a team that is much better than its record reflects in the early portion of the season.

Purchase jumped out to a 9-1 advantage in the opening set and ran away, taking a late 23-17 margin before closing out the set in a 25-18 final.

Set two provided the largest challenge of the night with both teams rallying in a back-and-forth affair. Purchase led 9-6 and then 14-8. Brooklyn poured on the pressure. Shortly later, with the score 16-10 Purchase, Brooklyn kept strong in its attack and climbed within three, 23-20. The Panthers responded with another huge point, 24-22, but the Bulldogs tied it at 26-26 with Purchase on the brink. However, the Panthers bounced back and closed out the set 28-26.

Trailing 2-0, Brooklyn utilized some of the momentum from the second set and earned a win in game three, 25-17. But the Panthers regrouped, battling the visitors in another tough fourth set. The Panthers led 17-15 and later 21-17, finishing off the match 25-19 behind a late push.

Rookie Megan Toole (FR/Hamburg, NY) paced Purchase with 10 kills. Co-captain Jenna Nardi (SO/Yorktown Heights, NY) added eight kills and fellow co-captain Cathryn Mulvey (JR/Scarsdale, NY) tallied seven in the team's first win of the season. Toole was extremely impressive, playing well around the net and showcasing unexpected veteran savvy for a freshman. Fellow rookie, Maggie Brenenstuhl (FR/Schaghticoke, NY) set the tone with 22 assists, handing out a match-high on the evening. Toole and Nardi led the defensively with 11 and five digs, respectively.

Jillian Escobar led Brooklyn with 12 kills. Teammate Yelizaveta Malysheva totaled 18 assists in defeat.

Purchase shot .333 as a team in the opening frame and capped the night in a .308 showing.

The Panthers will now host the College of New Rochelle Thursday night at 7 p.m.