NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 9 Monroe College – Bronx Express women's volleyball team kicked off the 2023 season with two victories over 2022 NJCAA Region 19 playoff teams on Saturday, August 19, at the Monroe College – New Rochelle Invitational held at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Express defeated Atlantic Cape Community College in the opening match in straight sets and were then victorious over Raritan Valley Community College, 3-0. The latter opponent is currently receiving votes in the NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Rankings and is a perennial national contender. 
 
"We did really good today, we are very excited for the wins we just had," Monroe Express Women's Volleyball Head Coach Odaly Aponte-Orta said. "It was a great start to the season."
 
In the match against Atlantic Cape (0-3), set scores were 25-5, 25-10, and 25-11. Monroe – Bronx (2-0) hit .233 as a team. Sophomore outside hitter Lisanel Rodriguez had a big match with seven kills, just as many digs, five service aces, and three assists. She scored a match-high 12 points for the Express. Second-year libero Valery Nunez anchored the defense with a match-best 15 digs, while scoring four service aces and adding a pair of assists. Sophomore setter Luisanni Rodriguez led all players with 16 assists, while nailing six aces, and chipping in on the defensive end with four digs.
 
The Express captured the opening set in convincing fashion, leading from wire-to-wire. Lisanel Rodriguez slammed home back-to-back kills to give Monroe a commanding 12-2 hold. Later in the game, the Express rifled off three kills in a row, one each from sophomore middle blocker Xing Stewart-Greer, second-year outside hitter Haley Castaneda, and sophomore outside hitter Selena Mitchell, to give the Blue and Gold a 19-3 benefit. Rookie middle blocker Chelsea Nolasco clinched the opening-set victory for Monroe by slamming home a kill.
 
Monroe got off to a slow start in the second set, falling behind by a score of 6-3. However, the Express surged to a 9-6 lead thanks to six unanswered points, which was concluded with a kill by Luisanni Rodriguez and back-to-back successful attacks courtesy of Lisanel Rodriguez. Monroe padded its advantage for the remainder of the set, thanks in large part to a 9-0 run later in the stanza to inflate its cushion to 18-8. Luisanni Rodriguez secured the victory in the second game for the Express by scoring a service ace.
 
In the third stanza, Atlantic Cape grabbed a 5-4 lead. Monroe battled back and jumped out in front, 7-6. After the Buccaneers tied it up, the Express took over the set by scoring eight points in a row to take a big advantage they would not surrender for the remainder of the contest. Norasco played a key role in Monroe- Bronx's surge by scoring four service aces and slamming home a kill during the set-altering stretch. In the closing stages of the match, Monroe took advantage of four-straight errors by the opposition to clinch the season-opening victory in straight sets. 
 
For the Express, Nolasco produced a hitting percentage of .571 as she generated four kills and six service aces. Castaneda had a solid match with three kills, five digs, and a pair of aces. Mitchell chipped in with two kills and three digs, while Stewart-Greer registered four successful attacks of her own. Rookie libero Yasmel Molina had three digs on the defensive end, while sophomore outside hitter Laura Pinales had a kill. First-year middle blocker Nisa Llanos produced a block. 
 
In the victory over Raritan Valley (1-2), set scores were 25-21, 25-21, and 25-12. The Express trailed the Lions by as many as five points in each of the first two sets before rallying to win those games, and then did not trail at any point in the third stanza.
 
"Today we felt amazing by these two matches," Stewart-Greer said. "Our team worked hard. We were a little slow to start in the second match, but we got ourselves back, and we got back on the court, and got the win."
 
Lisanel Rodriguez had another productive match, this time generating 22 points, 17 kills, a .294 hitting percentage, eight digs, five service aces, and an assist. Nunez once again neutralized the opposition's attack by producing a match-high 19 digs and aided the offense with seven assists and a kill. Luisanni Rodriguez tallied a double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs, while slamming home four kills and scoring three service aces. Mitchell produced eight kills, five digs, two service aces, and an assist.
 
Monroe got off to a great start in the opening frame as a service ace by Lisanel Rodriguez catapulted the Express to an 11-8 advantage. However, the Lions countered with eight straight points to jump out to a 16-11 benefit. After both teams scored two points each, the Express took their turn to grab momentum by scoring five straight points, capped off by a service ace from Mitchell, to knot it up at 18 points apiece. Raritan Valley scored the next point to jump back in front but a kill by Lisanel Rodriguez jump started three-straight points by Monroe to allow the Express to take a two-point benefit. After Raritan Valley tacked on the next point, Lisanel Rodriguez slammed home back-to-back kills to give Monroe – Express more breathing room at 23-20. After each team added a point, Lisanel Rodriguez clinched the first-set victory for the Express by scoring a service ace.
 
The Express had a bit of a letdown to start the second set, falling behind by a score of 4-0. As the game went on, Monroe fell behind 19-14. The Express once again responded well to adversity by going on an 8-0 run, highlighted by two kills courtesy of Lisanel Rodriguez and a successful attack by Llanos, to jump ahead, 22-19. With the score 24-21 in favor of the Blue and Gold, Mitchell sealed Monroe's second set victory by slamming home a kill, putting Raritan Valley on the brink.
 
In the third set, Nunez scored a kill to cap off a 4-0 run by Monroe and gave them the lead for good at 6-2. Later in the stanza, two kills and two aces by Lisanel Rodriguez highlighted a 9-2 run by the Express that gave them a 17-6 hold. The Lions scored four straight points to get closer, but Monroe – Bronx answered with four straight points of its own, capped off by back-to-back kills from Mitchell, to regain its 11-point cushion. After the Express earned a match-point opportunity, at 24-12, Lisanel Rodriguez wasted no time by scoring a kill to clinch Monroe's second victory of the day and a 2-0 start to the regular season.
 
For the Express, Stewart-Greer had four kills. Castaneda provided three kills, six digs, and a service ace. Nolasco added two kills, a solo block, and an assist. Molina produced two assists and just as many digs.
 
Monroe – Bronx will travel to Binghamton, N.Y., on Saturday, August 23, for a matchup against Broome Community College. First serve at Baldwin Gymnasium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
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 (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).