Farmingdale, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) women's volleyball team concluded its regular season Tuesday evening, falling to Farmingdale State College in straight sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-13, at the Walter A. Lynch Sports Center.
Control of the match teetered back and forth in the tightly contested first set. The greatest separation either team achieved was three points until, at 20-20 and on the Bears serve, the host Rams began their final push. Three kills by Leslie Wandmacher led Farmingdale State on a 5-0 run that carried them to take the first set, 25-20.
The Bears bounced back in the second set, challenging their hosts with a pair of aces by Madeleine Niño (San Antonio, TX) and strong play overall on their way to a 4-0 lead. The hosts regained their footing, but Brooklyn kept on the pressure and added to their lead with a kill by Darya Goryachev (Brooklyn, N.Y.) that put them ahead in the frame, 9-4. The Bears held onto the lead and, at 12-8, forced the Rams into the first timeout of the set. Farmingdale State charged back after the huddle and were soon ahead, scoring nine of the next 11 points to take a 17-14 lead over Brooklyn. Both teams mounted small runs as the set went on; the Bears used theirs to tie the score at 17, which the Rams quickly matched and turned into a three-point lead, 20-17. Brooklyn whittled the deficit down to one, 20-21, but that was as close as they came. Farmingdale State went on to score the final two points of the set and secured themselves a hard-earned 2-0 advantage heading into the third frame.
Farmingdale State continued their attack in the third set, running out to a 4-0 lead. Brooklyn settled in after a team timeout and organized their attack. Three kills by sophomore Carissa Zwiefelhofer (North Bend, WA) led the Bears' efforts and helped them claw into the host's lead, cutting their deficit to two, 9-11. The Rams responded quickly and decisively, pushing further and further ahead behind separate five- and three-point runs. The host's lead grew to as many 12, which they held until the end, taking the third set, 25-13, and sealing the match victory.
Zwiefelhofer led the Bears in both kills and assists, collecting nine of each. Karson Brooks (Portland, OR) added four kills to the Bears' count and two service aces, and in addition to her two aces at the start of the second set, Niño topped the team with 12 digs.
Following Tuesday's match, Brooklyn ends the regular season with a 10-10 overall record that included a 6-5 run through conference play. The team sealed their second consecutive winning season in the Skyline with their record and added to a successful three-year stretch above .500 in all contests. Tied with University of Mount Saint Vincent in wins and losses, the Bears now await their final positioning in the standings ahead of the 2026 Skyline Conference Championship.
