John Jay volleyball swept by Tappan Zee

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Tuesday, September 16, John Jay came out strong against visiting Tappan Zee, racing to a 4–0 lead in the opening set. But the fast start proved deceptive, as the Dutchmen settled in and took control on their way to a 25–14, 25–10, 25–19 sweep.

The Wolves struck first on a pair of Tappan Zee errors, then rode back-to-back kills from Hellen Dollar for the early cushion. A serve into the net ended the run, though, and the Dutchmen quickly answered with kills from Devin Cunney in the middle and Kiera Keane on the outside to pull within 4–3.

Anya Keaney’s kill gave John Jay brief momentum, but Tappan Zee kept pressing. Ava Handelman and Natalie Lai connected at the net, and Keane dropped in a soft dink to push the visitors ahead 7–6. The teams traded points, with Dollar and Keaney hammering kills for John Jay and Lai and Kerry Martin answering for the Dutchmen. At 11–11, the scoreline looked even, but Keane’s powerful swing from the left side gave Tappan Zee the edge for good. With Handelman and Cunney attacking in the front row and Chiappa delivering an ace, the Dutchmen stretched the lead to 17–12 and coasted to the first-set win.

The second set was all Tappan Zee. They opened with an 11–0 run, leaving John Jay on its heels, and rolled to a lopsided 25–10 finish.

The Wolves regrouped in the third and stayed close early. Dollar scored on a dink and a block, and McHugh turned a tight set into a clever push that cut the deficit to 5–4. Tappan Zee responded with an ace from Handelman and a kill through the middle for an 8–5 lead, but Dollar came right back with a kill and another block to tie it at 9–9.

From there, the Dutchmen re-established control. Handelman and Keane sparked a 15–10 advantage, and though McHugh’s touch shot trimmed the margin to 17–15, Tappan Zee finished strong. Handelman powered down another kill, Kerry Martin added a block, and the visitors closed the door to complete the sweep.