New York, NY – The Montclair State volleyball team suffered a pair of losses to open its 2013 season as the Red Hawks fell to host New York University and SUNY Geneseo in the NYU Labor Day Weekend Invitational on Friday.
Montclair battled the always tough Violets through the first two sets before falling 25-21, 25-21 and 25-14. Later in the day, MSU held a 2-0 lead over Geneseo winning the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21 before the Knights won the first three sets in close fashion 25-22, 25-23 and 15-12 in the decisive fifth set.
A trio of freshmen helped spark Montclair State in the match with NYU and Leah Stine (Bridgewater, NJ, Bridgewater-Raritan) and Melissa Terpstra (Midland Park, NJ, Midland Park) had eight kills apiece while Courtney Matlock (Jackson, NJ, Jackson Memorial) added six. Junior setter Angela Campo (Washington Township, NJ, Westwood) posted a double-double with 26 assists and 11 digs while seniors Kaitlyn Irwin (Cranford, NJ, Cranford) and Kimberly Butrico (Cresskill, NJ, Cresskill) led the way with 15 and 14 digs, respectively.
In the loss to Geneseo, Terpstra registered 22 kills – the most by an MSU player in a match since Anna Chesnakova put down 25 against FDU-Florham in 2006. The freshman hit .316 for the match and also added 11 digs, two assists and two service aces. Matlock recorded 17 kills and added a pair of digs while Campo got another double-double with 43 assists and 16 digs.
Freshman Nicole Izzo (Flemington, NJ, Hunterdon Central) led the way for MSU with a team-best 19 digs while Butrico tallied 13. Irwin, who added two assists and two aces, had 15 digs to run her career total to 1,650 which is 106 shy of Lauren Mazrukiewicz' all-time record of 1,756 from 1995-1998.
The Red Hawks will look to break in the win column on Saturday, August 31 as they complete play in the NYU Labor Day Invitational. Montclair faces Spalding (KY) at 10:00 am.
