Jaci Buscher
Jaci Buscher

New York Tech & Mercy Cool Off Bentley during Triangular

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Junior middle hitter Savannah Dominguez (Miami, Fla./Palmer Trinity HS) continued her string of strong performances and sophomore outside hitter Jaci Buscher (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain HS) had a pair of double-doubles, but it wasn't enough as Bentley University dropped a pair of 3-1 decisions in non-conference women's volleyball action Saturday afternoon at the Mercy College Gymnasium.

Red-hot New York Tech, 14-1 on the season, snapped the Falcons' seven-match winning streak by the scores of 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-13. Bentley, 10-6 for the season, also won only the third set in a 25-18, 25-11, 17-25, 25-23 loss to Mercy later in the day.

Dominguez hit .481 with 15 kills against NYIT, and also registered two service aces and a block. She had five kills in the opening set and four, in as many attempts, in the second. Against the Bears, Buscher tied her career-best with 18 kills and came within one of her career-high in kills (14).

Bentley was within reach late in each of the first two sets against NYIT, trailing 19-17 in the first and 23-21 in the second before the Bears prevailed. In the third, the Falcons closed with an 8-1 burst that included two Dominguez kills and two aces from junior Jessica Segal (West Harrison, N.Y./ Harrison HS).

Buscher and Dominguez both had ten kills against Mercy (7-8), with Buscher's line also including two aces, 12 digs and two blocks. Dominguez tied her career-best with five aces and also had her best block total of the year, with seven.

Mercy scored the final six points to take the opening set and the final three of the second to make it 2-0 in the match. After the Falcons rebounded to win the third, the two teams were even at 23 in the fourth before kills by Sonia Morales and Nicolette Gebhardt closed out the match for the Flyers.

Junior libero Lauren Colasanti (Northville, Mich./Northville HS) topped the 1,000-mark in career digs as she made 14 against NYIT and 13 in the Mercy match.

Junior setter Alex Tator (Los Angeles, Calif./Marlborough School) assisted on 76 of Bentley's 85 kills in the two matches, including 44 against Tech.

Mercy's Brennan White had a busy afternoon with 25 kills and the Flyers also received five aces from Floriana Rraci as the two teams combined for 26 aces (15 by the Flyers).

Bentley will have this coming week off before returning to action at Merrimack Oct. 15.