NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College volleyball team rallied from an early one set deficit to defeat the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 3-1 in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match on Tuesday evening in The Nest.

Majo Pealez had eight kills and 16 digs on the day. Emma Fallon (Harwinton, Conn.) tied Pelaez with eight kills of her own. Jazmine Taboas Negron (San Juan, Puerto Rico) had seven kills and 13 digs. Shalese Gordon (Bridgeport, Conn.) had a team-high 16 assists while Alyssa Valentine (Bristol, Conn.) had 15 assists. Paula Matheus (Boyaca, Colombia) had six kills and a team-high six aces.

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 3 | USJ 1

SET 1: USJ 25 | Albertus 21

SET 2: Albertus 25 | USJ 21

SET 3: Albertus 25 | USJ 21

SET 4: Albertus 25 | USJ 23

BOX

RECORDS: Albertus (12-11, 3-5 GNAC) | USJ (4-18, 2-5 GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams tied ten times through the first 22 points of the first set as Matheus had two kills early on. USJ then scored the next four points, including two aces by Shaye Harris to take a 15-11 lead. Yarieshka Sierra (Hartford, Conn.) then broke the run with a kill of her own. USJ led 24-17, but the Falcons scored the next four to stave off match point, including an ace by Pelaez and a kill by Valentine, but USJ was able to close out the set and take a 1-0 match lead.
• USJ scored the first four points of the second set, but Albertus was able to rebound, eventually going on a 10-3 run to take a 10-7 lead as Matheus had a kill and an ace, while Fallon and Negron each added a kill. The set would go back and forth, eventually tying at 20-20. From there, the Falcons scored th next three points as Sophie Cseszko (Grapevine, TX) had an ace. Valentine added one more kill and Gordon closed the set with an ace as the Falcons tied the match, 1-1.
• In set three, the two teams were tied, 6-6, but the Falcons rattled off the next six points, including two aces from Negron and kills by Cseszko and Pelaez to take a 12-6 lead. The Blue Jays cut the Albertus lead to 19-17, but Albertus was able to push the lead to 24-19 as Cseszko added two more kills. USJ got back to within three points at 24-21, but a kill by Matheus ended the set to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead.
• In a thrilling final set, the Falcons jumped out to a 6-2 lead as Negron had two kills early. USJ then got three aces from Alyssa Dugas to vault the Blue Jays ahead 7-6. The teams tied four more times over the next 13 points, but the Blue Jays then jumped to an 18-14 lead as Gabi Wanner notched two aces. The Falcons scored the next three points to get within one, but USJ answered with three straight of its own to take a 21-17 lead. Two kills by Cseszko and two aces from Valentine gave the Falcons a 22-21 lead, but the next two points went to USJ to give the Blue Jays a 23-22 lead. However, the Falcons were able to finish off the match, scoring the final three points with the final one on a kill by Pelaez to secure the win.

LEADERS

Albertus

Emma Fallon and Majo Pelaez - 8 Kills

Shalese Gordon - 16 Assists

Paula Matheus - 6 Aces

Majo Pelaez - 16 Digs

Sophie Cseszko - 3 Blocks

USJ

Shaye Harris - 17 Kills

Gabi Wanner - 24 Assists

Alyssa Dugas - 4 Aces

Alyssa Dugas - 19 Digs

Shaye Harris - 2 Blocks

NOTEWORTHY

Albertus beat USJ for the first time since 2018. 

UP NEXT

The Falcons play a GNAC tri-match on Saturday, October 25 as the Falcons take on Norwich University and host Simmons University at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.