ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Sept. 5, 2014) - On Friday evening, the LIU Post women's volleyball team began its East Region title defense at the SpringHill Suites Invitational in Anchorage, Alaska. The Pioneers went the distance for a 3-2 win over Saint Leo, before falling in three sets to host Alaska-Anchorage.

Match 1 - LIU Post 3, Saint Leo 2 (25-22, 22-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-9)
It was quite the collegiate debut for freshman outside hitter Danielle Valenza (Hauppauge, N.Y.) in the five-set victory against the Lions. She put down 20 kills and recorded 16 digs for a double-double. Sophomore middle hitter Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) provided 10 kills off the bench. Junior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii) matched Valenza's dig total with 16. Senior setter Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy) totaled 46 assists and 11 digs.

Trailing 18-17 in a back-and-forth opening frame, the green and gold went on a 7-1 run to get within set point at 24-19. Freshman middle blocker Heather Ball (Gilbert, Ariz.) evened the score on a kill, and then teamed up with Valenza for back-to-back blocks that put LIU Post in front for good.

The Lions rallied to take the second set, 25-22, but LIU Post answered in the third. Leading by as many as five points late in the stanza (19-14), Saint Leo charged all the way back to force extra points. With the score deadlocked at 24-all, a key attack error by Yaidimar Santiago (Catano, Puerto Rico), followed by a Ringor service ace, had the green and gold one set away from claiming a win in their season-opening tilt.

It would still take the full five sets to decide it, as the Lions (0-2) won by a 25-22 decision in the fourth set. Tied 4-4 in the final frame, a Tawni Warren (Thornton, Colo.) service error set the stage for a 6-1 run that gave the Pioneers a lead that they would never relinquish.

Match 2 - LIU Post 0, Alaska-Anchorage 3 (22-25, 16-25, 21-25)
The first set in LIU Post's contest versus host Alaska-Anchorage established the tone for the rest of the match. Down 10-8, the green and gold rattled off an 8-2 run to grab a 16-12 advantage. Valenza served six straight points in the burst, two of which resulted in aces. Senior middle blocker Heather Adams (Centerville, Ohio) and junior middle hitter Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) chipped in a kill apiece.

The Seawolves (2-0) fought back, however, and eventually went in front 22-21 on a Katelynn Zanders (Anchorage, Alaska) kill, forcing a Pioneer (1-1) timeout. Coming out of the break, a kill by Ball made it a 22-22 game. Yet, UAA, led by Zanders, scored three unanswered points to triumph in the opening stanza.

From there, Alaska-Anchorage won by counts of 25-16 and 25-21 in the ensuing sets to close it out. In the third frame, LIU Post fell behind 7-1, until it closed the gap to 9-8. During that stretch, junior setter/outside hitter Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) recorded two kills. That wouldn't be enough though. The Seawolves, behind a six-kill performance from Breanne Sytnyk (Shoal Lake, Manitoba) and a four-kill effort from Brooke Pottle (Peoria, Ariz.) in the set, secured the sweep.

Valenza amassed 11 digs and six kills in the loss. Ringor registered a team-high 12 digs. Centro collected 17 assists and eight digs. Hansen added five kills.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and the Pioneers are back in action Saturday (Sept. 6) for Day Two of the SpringHill Suites Invitational. They will face Alaska-Anchorage at 1 p.m. EST, followed by Saint Leo at 4 p.m.