Box Score - Maritime
Box Score - Medgar Evers
Bronx, NY (Oct. 19, 2013) – Tri-matches are Purchase's best friend these days.
The Panthers, who swept a tri-match last weekend in their second of the season, went back to work on Saturday at SUNY Maritime and swept another – this time taking two from host SUNY Maritime and Medgar Evers College. In the process, Purchase continued its best season since joining the Skyline Conference and its best in recent memory, collecting wins No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.
It has been an impressive season for Purchase first-year head coach Marc Solondz and his resurgent Panthers, who are in the conversation for a postseason berth. After dropping the first tri-match of the schedule on Oct. 5, Purchase has now won two tri-matches, going 4-2 in tri-matches played this fall.
The Panthers took both matches Saturday in 3-0 sweeps as well, flashing dominance at a time in schedule when the regular season is winding down and the postseason is nearing. Four regular-season contests remain, including one more tri-match at the end of the month before the playoffs begin.
In the first match Saturday, Purchase delivered a 25-11, 25-21, 25-10 final. Alex Lally (FR/Sunnyvale, TX) posted nine kills and seven digs to pave the way for the Panthers. Her nine kills were a match high. Alicia McCarthy (FR/Plano, TX) added six kills. Olivia Schoeller (FR/Ronkonkoma, NY) handed out a match-high 19 assists and also paced Purchase with nine digs.
Against Maritime, Purchase totaled 39 digs and 16 service aces – seven of which came from Schoeller in another standout effort for the setter.
Later in the afternoon against Medgar Evers, Purchase posted a 25-7, 25-17, 25-12 win to improve to 8-9 overall on the season. The Panthers, following the conference win over Maritime, are now 3-3 in league play as well.
In the win over Medgar, Lally and McCarthy set the tone with a match-high eight kills apiece. Captain Cathryn Mulvey (SR/Scarsdale, NY) contributed seven kills. Schoeller dished out 18 assists and McCarthy totaled seven digs to pace the visitors in those categories.
Newcomer Sarah Gabler (FR/East Concord, NY) is coming on strong for Purchase. She had three kills apiece in each of the wins.
"It was a strong way for us to bounce back from the loss to William Paterson," Solondz said of the weekend action. "This is an important stretch for us and we are looking to finish strong."
The Panthers will now host CCNY on Tuesday, Oct. 22 on Senior Night.
