BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – It was a difficult Sunday afternoon for the Bentley University women's volleyball team as the Falcons dropped a pair of non-conference matches at LIU Post's Pratt Recreation Center.

A 15-10 fifth-set loss resulted in Bentley falling to LIU Post, 3-2, while American International College overcame a 15-8 deficit in the third set en route to a 3-0 sweep of the Falcons.

In the first match of the day, LIU Post took the odd-numbered matches (25-21, 25-19, 15-10) while Bentley captured the even-numbered ones, 25-16 and 25-23.

Junior co-captain Rachel Bruno (San Diego, Calif./Francis Parker HS) hit .409 with nine kills, no errors, four aces and six blocks, and three of her Bentley teammates pitched in with double-doubles in the hard-luck loss to the 14-9 Pioneers.

Sophomore Mallory Burbage (Bow Mar, Colo./Littleton HS) finished with 14 kills and 17 digs, classmate Mariana Boyer (Arvada, Colo./Broomfield HS) recorded ten kills and 16 digs, and senior co-captain Krista Campbell (Newtown, Pa,/Council Rock North HS) totaled 38 assists and 15 digs.         

LIU Post was powered by senior Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio), with 28 digs, 19 kills and 20 points.

Against AIC, which was playing its third set while Bentley was playing its eighth, it looked like the Falcons were going to stay alive when they jumped out to the 15-8 lead in the third. However, the 14-8 Yellow Jackets closed with a 17-3 burst to complete the 25-15, 25-17, 25-18 sweep.

Bruno and Boyer both had six kills for Bentley, which finished with only 25 as a team, 17 fewer than AIC. Bruno also helped with three aces and four blocks, and junior libero Emily Barthelmes (Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson HS) had a team-best 16 digs.

Sophomore Andrea Serra (Toa Alta, P.R.) posted a 15-kill, 14-dig double-double for AIC and teammate Diva Rivas-Reyes (Tucson, Ariz.) followed with 12 kills. Senior setter Dolores Kopren (Novi Sad, Serbia) assisted on 36 of her team's kills and also had four aces and ten kills.

Bentley, 7-14, will return to action Tuesday evening at St. Michael's College.