DURHAM, N.H. – The Saint Peter's volleyball team opened the 2026 season putting up a strong fight against Providence, but ultimately fell in three sets (21-25, 21-25, 16-25) on day one of the Holly Young Invitational at Lundholm Gymnasium.
The Peacocks (0-1, 0-0 Metro) had chances to pull ahead in the first and second sets, but the Friars (1-0, 0-0 Big East) seemed to always have an answer. When it was all said and done, SPU totaled more kills and assists, but Providence dominated at the net with eight more blocks.
For Saint Peter's, the returners
Valeria Pagan Munoz and
Addison Baglio fueled the offense as they combined for 15 kills. Baglio had seven of those kills and led the team with a .357 hitting percentage on 14 total attacks.
Markela Tsagkopoulou and
Julia Whaley each racked up six kills in their debut with the Peacocks proving to be impactful newcomers.
Alondra Fargas was the only Peacock to reach double-digit assists with 10, but
Meleksu Ozmen wasn't far behind with seven.
The Peacocks were hanging right along with the Friars, but they had a hard time slowing down Sophia Adkins, who ended the day with nine kills while hitting .529.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: Saint Peter's came out strong in the opening set, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead behind a kill from Baglio and taking a 6-5 advantage after a Providence ball-handling error. The Peacocks and Friars continued to trade points throughout the middle portion of the set, with Saint Peter's eventually pulling even at 14-14 before taking a 15-14 lead on a kill from Pagan Munoz. The Peacocks later held an 18-16 advantage following an ace from Baglio, but Providence responded with a four-point run to take a 20-18 lead. Saint Peter's remained within striking distance at 20-23 after a kill from Pagan Munoz, but Providence scored the final two points to take the opening set, 25-21.
SET TWO: Saint Peter's and Providence traded points early in the second set, with the Peacocks holding a 7-6 advantage following a kill from Pagan Munoz. Providence responded with a three-point run to take a 9-7 lead before extending its advantage to 15-9. Saint Peter's battled back, using a pair of kills from
Elina Arsov and an ace from Fargas to cut the deficit to 15-16. Providence regained control late, however, scoring five of the next six points to build a 22-18 lead. The Peacocks trimmed the margin to 21-23 after a kill from Pagan Munoz, but Providence closed out the set with the final two points to take a 2-0 match lead.
SET THREE: The Peacocks kept the third set close early, trailing 3-4 after a kill from Tsagkopoulou before Providence began to create separation. The Friars used a seven-point run to turn a 7-9 deficit into a 16-7 advantage, with Saint Peter's unable to regain momentum. The Peacocks continued to battle, getting kills from
Karolina T. Rodriguez Mendez and Baglio during the late stages, but Providence maintained its lead and finished off the set, 25-16, to complete the three-set victory.
NOTES
Saint Peter's is now 2-11 all-time vs. Providence…Baglio set a career-high in hitting percentage (min. 10 total attacks) with .357…
Drew Leonardis recorded her first kill as a Peacock.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks will finish their final two matches of the Holly Young Invitational with a doubleheader on Saturday, Aug. 29 against New Hampshire and New Haven at 2 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. The match against New Hampshire will be streamed on ESPN+.
