NICALEK SLAMS DOWN 14 KILLS AS VOLLEYBALL CLOSES OUT SEASON WITH 3-1 LOSS AT NYIT

Box Score vs. NYIT - November 5, 2009

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Nov. 5, 2009) – Sophomore right-side hitter Angelica Nicalek (Valley Stream, N.Y.) registered a team-best 14 kills on Thursday night, but it was not enough as the Molloy College volleyball team lost by a 3-1 (15-25, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25) count at New York Institute of Technology in its 2009 season finale at Recreation Hall in Old Westbury, N.Y. She also earned 10 digs to get her 10th double-double of the year. With the loss, the Lions ended the campaign at 9-22 overall and 3-9 in East Coast Conference play.

Leading 8-7 in the opening set, the Bears (13-18, 7-5 ECC) solidified their victory in it with an 8-0 run to take a 16-7 lead. Senior outside hitter Shelby Klein (Orange, Calif.) got four kills in the spurt. Junior right-side hitter Nina Cicero (Smithtown, N.Y.) contributed an ace. NYIT earned its largest lead on a kill by senior right-side hitter Luci Ferraro (Smithtown, N.Y.) to snatch the set at 25-15. For Molloy, Nicalek and freshman outside hitter Jenna Faggione (Hicksville, N.Y.) notched three kills apiece in the game.

Tied at 10-all in the second set, the Lions recorded six unanswered points. The visitors took advantage of five unforced errors by the hosts. Soon after, Molloy led 22-16. NYIT managed to cut the deficit in half from there. Klein and sophomore middle blocker Ali Falbo (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had kills in the spurt. A kill by Faggione that followed iced the game for the Lions. Once again, it was Nicalek leading the way with five kills.

Deadlocked at 1-1 in the third set, Molloy rattled off four consecutive points to go up 5-1. Nicalek and sophomore middle hitter Catherine Russini (Westbury, N.Y.) started the run with kills. NYIT answered right back though with the same burst of its own. Senior middle blocker Rebecca Lowe (Costa Mesa, Calif.) served up a pair of aces for the Bears in the effort. Eventually, the game was knotted at 8-up. The Bears then notched a 4-0 spurt to go ahead by a 12-8 count. Klein collected two aces, while Falbo notched a kill in the run.

Later on, with NYIT leading 21-17, Nicalek and Koelbel each tallied a point to diminish the deficit to two. However, a kill by sophomore outside hitter Tugce Sirdas (Istanbul, Turkey) put the set away for good. The Bears jumped out of the gate quickly in the fourth set as they took an early 6-1 lead. Unforced errors from the Lions and a kill by Sirdas anchored the burst. Molloy managed to close in at 17-15 off a Faggione kill, but that was as close as they got the rest of the way.

For more information on Head Coach Kevin Quiambao and the Molloy volleyball team, continue to check back at www.molloy.edu/athletics.