WHEELING, W. Va. (Sept. 12, 2014) - Four different Pioneers posted .300-plus hitting percentages Friday, as the LIU Post volleyball team topped Le Moyne and Shepherd on Day One of the Wheeling Jesuit Invitational.

Match 1: LIU Post 3, Le Moyne 1 (25-18, 27-29, 25-7, 25-12)
Behind a five-kill, three-block performance from freshman middle blocker Heather Ball (Gilbert, Ariz.), the Pioneers took the opening set from the Dolphins (2-4) by a 25-18 count. Trailing 9-8, the green and gold went on a 7-2 run to take a 15-11 lead, prompting a Le Moyne timeout. Ball provided two kills and a block assist in the spurt. Junior setter/outside hitter Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) had two kills of her own.

The Dolphins managed to inch their way back, coming within one point at 16-15, but LIU Post scored six of the final seven points to grab a 1-0 advantage in the contest. Ball was the catalyst, slamming down a kill and rejecting a pair of blocks. Senior middle blocker Heather Adams (Centerville, Ohio) bookended the burst with kills, the second of which was the clinching point.

Le Moyne rallied to take the second set in extra points, before LIU Post routed its opponent over the ensuing two frames to close it out. In the third set, the two teams were knotted at 4-apiece, until the Pioneers, who hit .300 in the match, rolled off an impressive 21-3 streak to secure the 25-7 victory. Sophomore middle hitter Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) served eight consecutive points (two aces) in that stretch.

Lastly, in the fourth set, the green and gold, holding a slight 10-8 advantage, went on a 15-4 tear, en route to the 25-12 win. Freshman middle blocker Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) had five kills in the run., while Ball served three aces. Overall, Valenza recorded a match-best 15 kills, alongside a .406 attack clip. Ball boasted 12 kills and a .611 hitting percentage. Adams amassed 14 digs, seven kills, six digs and four blocks.

Match 2: LIU Post 3, Shepherd 2 (21-25, 25-22, 25-11, 23-25, 16-14)
Following a first-set loss to Shepherd (3-3), LIU Post (3-3) rebounded to win the next two. Tied 21-21 in a back-and-forth second set, a block by Valenza and junior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put the green and gold in front for good. The Pioneers captured the set on a service ace from junior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii).

Then, in the third set, LIU Post pulled away early. Leading 5-3, a 13-3 run, capped off by a Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy) ace, the Pioneers were sitting in the driver's seat with a commanding 18-6 cushion. They went on to win the set by a 25-11 final.

The Rams would force a fifth and deciding set, after claiming a 25-23 victory in the fourth frame. Down 10-5 and coming out of a timeout, the Pioneers clawed back, using a 7-2 response to even the score at 12-all.

Despite the rally, Shepherd earned two opportunities to put the match away. However, the opposition wouldn't go away quietly. LIU Post, via back-to-back kills from Adams, kept the game alive. A subsequent Hansen kill set the green and gold up with match point, and another Adams kill sealed the deal.

Valenza registered a double-double in the victory, tallying 19 kills (match-high) and 17 digs. Adams accumulated 15 kills and nine digs. Hansen, Ball and Austin collected seven kills apiece. Centro dished out 43 assists. Ringor picked up 19 digs in the effort.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and the Pioneers wrap up play at the WJU Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 13) in Wheeling, W. Va. LIU Post is set to face Lock Haven at 10 a.m. and No. 10 Wheeling Jesuit at 2 p.m.