BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Purchase College women's volleyball team capped its 2021 campaign with a Skyline Conference road match against St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) on Thursday at The Hill Center.

The host Bears paid tribute to its lone senior, Cristina Morales, with a Senior Night ceremony before besting the Panthers, 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-13).

Purchase (3-14, 1-10 Skyline) looked its strongest in the first set. After a kill by senior right side Leah Bickley (San Francisco, CA) and a service ace and kill from junior outside hitter Pamella Gonzalez, the Panthers took a 4-2 lead.

 St. Joe's (6-10, 4-7 Skyline) fired back with two unanswered points to tie the set at 4-4.

Both teams put up points over the next few plays before the Panther attack ignited with a 9-2 run to jump back out in front, 15-12. The Bears clawed back, however, to even the score at 15 apiece.

Purchase would gain the advantage two more times before conceding three-consecutive points off errors to fall behind 19-17. Despite the Panthers' effort, they could not bounce back and eventually were tagged with a 25-21 loss in the first set.  

Purchase senior setter Karina Medina (Brooklyn, NY) opened scoring in the second set with a kill but the Panther lead was short-lived as St. Joe's registered four unanswered points to take a 4-1 advantage. SJC would hold the lead the rest of the way, winning the set by a score of 25-13.

The Bears produced their best hitting percentage (.306) and held Purchase to just two kills on 24 attempts in the third set. SJC's offense combined for 15 kills and three service aces en route to its 25-13 victory in the final stanza.

For Purchase, Bickley and Gonzalez led the Panther offense with five kills each. Gonzalez also registered a team-best 15 digs and one service ace. Medina tallied 10 assists, six digs, two kills and one service ace, while senior libero Skyla Schoppmeyer (Oakdale, NY) recorded 11 digs, two kills and one service ace.