BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team rallied back from a 2-1 deficit against Northeast Conference (NEC) rival LIU on Saturday evening to earn a thrilling five-set victory over the Sharks. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 3-9, 2-0 NEC
LIU: 2-13, 1-1 NEC
 
Top Performers:
Dominique Felix: 14 kills, 14 digs 
Gaby Zovko: 48 assists, 14 digs, 4 blocks
Camryn Luginbuhl: 19 kills, 3 digs
Jasmine Rogers: 18 digs, 10 assists
Cristina Montanez: 7 kills, 6 blocks
 
How It Happened:
The first set started with even play as the score sat tied at 5-5 after the opening 10 points. SHU put together a 4-1 run to pull ahead 9-6, but the Sharks began to rally, tying the set at 12-12. The Pios again started to pull away after taking a 19-16 lead, which was quickly matched by LIU, who knotted the score at 19-19. The Sharks then went on a 5-1 run to take a 24-20 advantage but SHU fought off four set points to tie the match at 24-all. Unfortunately for the Pios, LIU won the set's final two points to claim a 26-24 victory. 

After LIU came out to a 5-2 lead in the second, the Pios answered with a 6-1 surge to go up 8-6. The Sharks wrestled the lead back to go up 13-11, keeping it until having another set point at 24-21. The Pioneers again showed off their resilience, ending the frame on a 5-0 run to seal a 26-24 victory to even the match. 

The Sharks started the third set strong, winning eight of the first nine points to go up 8-1. SHU started to reel the deficit down over the following few points, getting within one, 15-14. LIU quickly retaliated with an 8-2 surge to propel them to a 25-19 victory in the frame. 

Trailing two sets to one, the Pios ramped up the urgency in the fourth by storming ahead 7-3. The Sharks were again ready with an answer, as they erased the deficit and tied the score at 13-all. The rest of the set featured long runs by both teams, as a SHU 5-0 surge gave the visitors an 18-13 advantage. Not to be outdone, LIU won six of the following eight points to cut the margin to one, 20-19. The final push came from the Pioneers, as they ended the set on a 5-1 run to take the fourth 25-20, forcing a fifth set in the process. 

The fifth set was a dead heat between the Pios and Sharks, as LIU led by just one, 8-7, when the teams switched sides of the court. The break immediately helped SHU as it won the following three points to go ahead 10-8. With the lead, Sacred Heart was content to trade points, as Dominique Felix tallied a kill and an assisted block in the final two points to give the Pios the exciting five-set victory. 

Felix posted an all-around effort against the Sharks, finishing the night with her first double-double since 2021 on season highs of 14 kills and 14 digs. Jasmine Rogers also posted a double-double, tallying 18 digs and a career-high 10 assists. SHU's final player with a double-double was Gaby Zovko, who recorded a season-high 48 assists to go along with 14 digs. 

The duo of Camryn Luginbuhl and Cristina Montanez added stellar performances on both sides of the court tonight. Luginbuhl racked up a team-high 19 kills while hitting .225. Montanez contributed a career-best seven kills with six blocks while hitting .389. 

Up Next:
SHU takes a quick break from conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 27, to host the University at Albany at 7 p.m. at the Pitt Center.