The Seton Hall Pirates lost their third game in a row on Saturday, Sept. 28 after a tough battle with BIG EAST rival, Villanova.
The first set established the tone for the match. Despite an early back-and-forth affair, Villanova pulled ahead with a strong run, taking an 18-9 lead. This proved insurmountable for the Pirates, despite an emphatic kill from senior Maddie Klungel that forced a Villanova timeout. The Wildcats kept their cool and won the set 25-21.
The Pirates carried momentum from the first set into the second. Although the teams exchanged kills to start, a key block from sophomore Maddy Loiselle gave Seton Hall a 6-3 lead.
However, Villanova did not back down and tied the set at 6-6. Senior Reagan Merk responded with an ace, putting the Pirates in front with an 11-8 lead. The set continued as an even battle with both teams exchanging strikes. After a long rally, sophomore Senna Roberts-Navarro spiked the ball down on the opponent's side, giving Seton Hall an 18-17 lead.
From there, the Pirates didn’t look back. Leading 24-20, Navarro took a deep breath and served over the net. The ball landed just out of the reach of a Villanova player, giving an ace to Navarro and securing the victory for Seton Hall, 25-20.
The third set featured numerous ties and close plays. After a series of kills from both sides and a successful challenge from Seton Hall, Villanova led 15-12. The Pirates responded with a 4-0 run highlighted by back-to-back kills from Perri Lucas and another ace from Merk. However, Villanova pulled away after a timeout and won the set 25-21, with impressive blocks from senior Ozzie Ozonoh and several kills from junior Tara Garvey.
The fourth set was the most intense of the match, with neither team backing down. Seton Hall struck first with a powerful spike from Lucas, taking a 1-0 lead. The teams traded points, with neither team going on a significant run. After 16 ties, they found themselves locked at 22 points each. From there, Villanova graduate student Riley Homer had a powerful kill to put them in front 24-22.
However, the Pirates refused to go quietly, tying the set at 24. The crowd erupted as Seton Hall took the lead 25-24. Tension then filled Walsh Gymnasium as Villanova fought back to tie it at 25. Ultimately, the Wildcats scored consecutive points to clinch the set 27-25 and take the match 3-1.
Every player contributed for the Wildcats, with Abby Harrell leading the squad with 17 kills and 13 digs. Meanwhile, Seton Hall saw strong performances from Klungel, who led the match with 42 assists, and Merk, who racked up 16 kills.
Following this game, the Pirates fell below .500. As of Oct. 12, their record is 7-9, and they are looking forward to their next matchup against DePaul at Walsh Gymnasium on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m.
Victor Johnson is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at victor.johnson@student.shu.edu.
