JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Saint Peter's Peacocks (6-18, 4-13 MAAC) fought hard in a closely contested match against the Sacred Heart Pioneers (15-14, 11-6 MAAC), but ultimately came up short in three sets Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED;
Set 1
The Pioneers came out swinging, jumping to a quick 4-0 lead with three kills and an ace. Saint Peter's answered with a kill from Penelope Rivera, sparking a back-and-forth effort. The Peacocks found a rhythm mid-set, highlighted by a block from Rivera and Olivia Gang and a kill by Valeria Pagan Munoz, trimming the deficit to 15-10. Despite a late push that included another Rivera kill, Sacred Heart closed the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-14.
Set 2
Saint Peter's opened the second set taking a 2-0 lead behind a Maliyah Labrie kill and a block from Rivera and Gang. The set saw multiple ties as both teams traded points, with Rivera and Pagan Munoz delivering timely kills. A pivotal four-point run by Sacred Heart gave the Pioneers a 16–13 lead. The Peacocks fought back with two kills from Labrie and an ace by Karolina Rodriguez, narrowing the gap to 23-18. However, Sacred Heart secured the set 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Set 3
The Peacocks came out strong in the third set, with a solo block from Elena Bilhartz, a Labrie kill, and a Sacred Heart error giving them a 3-0 start. The set featured intense rallies, with Saint Peter's reclaiming the lead multiple times behind kills from Cleopatra Diakou, Rivera, and Labrie. Back-to-back solo blocks by Rodriguez and Bilhartz gave the Peacocks a 19-18 edge late in the set. Despite their determined effort, Sacred Heart capitalized on key opportunities to edge out the Peacocks 25-23, completing the sweep.
Inside the Numbers:
Rivera led the Peacocks with ten kills and 12.5 points
Labrie contributed nine kills, swinging .200 for the match
Pagan Munoz tallied five kills and 11 digs
Diakou landed two kills on two attempts, notched 14 assists and five digs
Up Next:
The Peacocks return to Run Baby Run Arena tomorrow for their season finale against Fairfield University at 1 PM. The match will also celebrate the Peacocks' seniors. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the team as they close out the season.
