BRONX – The nationally ranked No. 6 Monroe College – Bronx women's volleyball team earned an impressive Region 15 victory over Queensborough Community College, in straight sets, at Monsignor Scanlan Gymnasium on Thursday evening, October 19. Set scores were 26-24, 25-12, and 25-20. 
 
With the win, the Express extend their undefeated record in Region 15 play to 12-0, while bumping their overall record to 17-1.
 
Leading the way for the Express was sophomore outside hitter Lisanel Rodriguez who tallied a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs. Classmate Luisanni Rodriguez led all players with 28 assists, while adding six digs, three service aces, and a pair of blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Selena Mitchell had a strong night on the attack with 11 put downs, while adding three digs. Second-year libero Valery Nunez provided nine digs and seven assists.
 
After both programs played a five-set thriller against each other that was won by Monroe, back on October 3, these two teams were destined to go the distance again during the first set of Thursday's match. The stanza was knotted at 21 points apiece, but sophomore right side hitter Lesly Almonte slammed home a kill to put the Express in front. 
 
After an attack error by the Tigers (13-4, 12-3 Region 15), the Blue and Gold's lead extended to 23-21. However, a pair of errors by Monroe evened the match at 23 points apiece. Sophomore middle blocker Xing Stewart-Greer responded for the Express by scoring a kill to give her team a set-point opportunity. However, Queensborough scored the next point to tie it up. 
 
Monroe – Bronx was able to take advantage of two consecutive attack errors from the opposition to clinch the first set, 26-24, and take a 1-0 lead in the match. 
 
The Express came storming out of the gate in the second stanza, as Stewart-Greer knocked down a kill to propel the home team to a 6-0 benefit. The hole was too big for the Tigers to climb out of as Monroe – Bronx cruised to a 25-12 triumph to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
In the third set, the Express once again led from wire-to-wire. Queensborough battled and made the set a lot closer than the previous stanza, pulling to within 21-18. However, Monroe – Bronx finished the frame off with a 4-2 run, highlighted by a put down from Stewart-Greer and capped off with a kill courtesy of Lisanel Rodriguez, to clinch the set and the key regional win for the Express.
 
For Monroe, Almonte had four kills and just as many digs, while Stewart-Greer provided three kills, a dig, and a block. Sophomore defensive specialist Yasmel Molina chipped in on defense with four digs, while sophomore outside hitter Haley Castaneda added three bumps of her own. Rookie middle blocker Nisa Llanos scored four kills, while sophomore outside hitter Laura Pinales tallied a service ace and a dig.
 
It was Sophomore Night and Monroe College - Bronx honored its women's volleyball sophomores, Castaneda, Mitchell, Shirley Garo, Pinales, Stewart-Greer, Almonte, Luisanni Rodriguez, Nunez, and Lisanel Rodriguez with a ceremony prior to the match.
 
Monroe – Bronx will close out the regular season with a pair of Region 15 matches, on the campus of Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Saturday, October 21. The Express will take on Orange County Community College and then nationally ranked No. 10, and host, Dutchess at approximately 2:00 p.m. No matter what happens during the match against Orange Country, Monroe's second match of the day against Dutchess will not only be a battle of nationally ranked and undefeated Region 15 teams, but the winner will clinch the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Region 15 Championships. 

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).