WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) women's volleyball team opened its 2025 season on Saturday afternoon, dropping matches to Rutgers-Newark and Wilkes University.
Match 1: St. Joseph's 0, Rutgers-Newark 3 (20-25, 17-25, 18-25)
In the opening set, St. Joseph's and Rutgers-Newark traded points to a 20–20 deadlock. Newcomers Keren Crespo (Meriden, Conn.) and Carissa Zwiefelhofer (North Bend, Wash.) combined for nine kills in the frame. However, the Scarlet Raiders closed the frame with five straight points.
Tied at 10 in the second set, Rutgers-Newark pulled away midway through, using a 9–2 stretch to hold a 19-12 advantage before claiming the set 25-17. The Bears were limited to seven kills in the frame.
In the third, St. Joseph's hit .375 and stayed within two points at 16–14 before Rutgers-Newark finished the match with a 9–4 run to complete the sweep.
Crespo totaled nine kills while hitting at a .318 clip while Zwiefelhofer, the lone Bear to play all three sets, led the team with 13 kills and eight digs. Fellow rookie Madeleine Niño (San Antonio, Texas) collected a team-high 10 digs. Senior setter Rachel Meltsin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tallied 15 assists.
Match 2: Wilkes 3, St. Joseph's 0 (25–16, 25–23, 25–16)
Wilkes, coming off a lengthy five-setter with the Scarlet Raiders earlier in the day, took control of the first set, as a 9-2 run ballooned their lead from 9-7 to 18-9. Holding St. Joseph's to five kills, the hosts took the set 25-16.
The second set was the closest of the day for the Bears as the frame featured seven ties. All 10 kills came courtesy of first-years with Zwiefelhofer and Niño each totaling three while Crespo had two in the frame. Meltsin and Abigail Encinia (Sunnyvale, Texas) combined for four aces.
The Bears turned a 5-1 deficit into a 6-5 lead behind a pair of aces from Zwiefelhofer. However, the Colonels used a 14-3 outburst to create separation before closing out the match in straight sets.
Crespo finished with seven kills and 16 digs, Zwiefelhofer posted six kills and 13 digs. Encinia distributed 11 assists while sophomore Mariana Medrano (El Paso, Texas) had a team- and career-high 15 digs
Up Next
The Bears return to Wilkes-Barre next Saturday, September 6 for a tri-match at King's College (Pa.). St. Joseph's will face Ramapo College at 2 pm before taking on the Monarchs at 4 pm.
