BRONX, NY - Taking on their final non-conference opponent of the season, the Yeshiva Women's Volleyball Team fell to Lehman College, losing to the Lightning by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
 
Offensively, the Maccabees were led by the duo of Elle Ohayon and Shany Elmaleh, with Ohayon tallying nine kills while Elmaleh served up a team-leading 22 assists.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, YU saw equally impressive performances out of Candace Villavicencio and Moriah Berkovitch, as Villavicencio got up for two blocks and Berkovitch kept the Maccabee floors clean with 21 digs.
 
With the loss, the Macs are now 2-10 on the season, 0-7 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first set saw Lehman jump out to a large early lead, burying YU's offense in a 14-4 hole. However, having finally gotten the chance to shake off the rust following their month-long break, the Maccabees stormed back, as kills from Ohayon and Talia Finn ignited a 21-9 run that saw Yeshiva take the period, 25-22.
   
• Both squads opened up the second set firing on all cylinders, trading points back and forth until the scoreboard read 15-15. It was then though that Lehman finally seized an advantage, holding YU to just two more points and taking the set, 25-17.
   
• Unable to recapture their first set momentum early on, the third saw the Macs fall behind, trailing by as many as seven points at 11-4. Down but not out, Yeshiva came roaring back, utilizing their smothering defense to wipe away the Lightning lead and even seize an advantage of their own at 19-18. However, the effort was not enough, as a 7-1 Lehman run spelled the end of the set, 25-20.
   
• Trailing in overall sets for the first time all match, the Maccabees continued to scrap in the fourth, overcoming a 9-5 Lehman edge to tie the period at 15-all. From there, Yeshiva rode Berkovitch's hot serve, surrendering just one more point and taking the set, 25-16.
   
• With the match level at two sets a piece, the fifth and final contest saw Yeshiva jump out to an early lead, going up 11-6 thanks to kills from Ashley Botnick and Villavicencio. While that margin would hold to 12-8, Lehman took full advantage of a Villavicencio serving error to sneak back into contention, closing YU's edge and even staving off a match point to tie the period at 15-all. From there two lightning points closed out the set, 17-15, snatching away what would have been Yeshiva's first five-set win since September of 2017.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Kills: Ohayon (9), Finn (6), Botnick (4), Villavicencio (4)
• Assists: Elmaleh (22), Botnick (2), Villavicencio (1)
• Service Aces: Finn (3), Berkovitch (3), Botnick (2), Ohayon (2)
• Blocks: Villavicencio (2)
• Digs: Berkovitch (21), Botnick (16), Ohayon (16)

 
UP NEXT
Taking on their first conference opponent in over a month in a particularly spooky match, the Maccabees will travel out to the University of Mount Saint Vincent on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 6:00 PM.