NEW YORK — Allison Sontag registered her first two collegiate double-doubles and the Pratt Institute women's volleyball team captured the opening set in a pair of non-conference matches before falling on the wrong end of 3-1 results against Baruch College and New Jersey City University on Saturday morning.
In the opening match against host Baruch (7-3), Allison Sontag led the way with a 10-kill, 10-assist double-double, hitting .310 with six digs and two blocks (both solo). Colleen Russell added eight kills with 11 digs and two blocks (both assisted).
Emily Sontag dished out 22 assists with seven digs, five kills and two blocks (one solo). Kelsy Padilly added six kills, four aces, 13 digs and two blocks (both assisted). Emma Leavey had 15 digs to anchor the back row.
In an opening set that saw neither team ahead by more than three points, the Cannoneers led for most of the set and won the final three points for a 25-22 win. The black-and-gold had a set point in the second stanza nearly taking a 2-0 lead, before the Bearcats won the final three points for a 26-24 win to level the match at 1-all.
The third set saw both teams separated by two or fewer points nearly the entire way, but Baruch won three straight for a 23-20 lead and held on to take the set. The Bearcats carried the momentum into the fourth and used an early 9-4 lead and remained ahead for good. The tightly contested affair featured 37 ties and 18 lead changes.
In their second match with New Jersey City (7-7), Russell paced the attack with eight kills and four digs. Natalie Dzadzio added four kills with four aces. Allison Sontag registered another double-double by way of 13 assists and 13 digs with three kills. Emily Sontag chipped in four kills with six assists and three digs. Leavey also finished with double-figure digs with 11.
The first set saw Pratt creep build a four-point lead on multiple occasions before falling behind and facing three set points at 24-21. The Cannoneers rattled off four straight points to erase all three set points and the teams traded set points before Pratt prevailed 28-26.
NJCU used 13-1 run to close out second set and remained in control from that point on winning the final three sets, 25-14, 25-12 and 25-5.
Pratt travels to York College on Tuesday, October 1st with first serve at 6:30 p.m.
