THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 14 Monroe University – Bronx women's volleyball team celebrated Sophomore Night by earning two Region 15 victories over Kingsborough Community College, in straight sets, on Wednesday evening. 
 
In between matches, Express sophomores Julia Ramos, Kaileex Batista, Aleishka Diaz, Cherlialix Carmona, Gabriela De La Rosa, and Diamondnique Stephenson were honored with a ceremony.
 
"Proud night for our group celebrating our sophomores and closing it out with two strong wins," Express Head Coach Odaly Aponte-Orta said. "Their (the sophomores) impact on and off the court continues to set the tone for this team."
 
The Express bump their Region 15 record 13-1 (17-3 overall).
 
In the first victory over the Wave (1-17, 0-15 Region 15), set scores were 25-6, 25-6, and 25-11.
 
Monroe led from wire to wire in each of the first two sets over Kingsborough. 
 
The Wave had a brief 3-1 lead in the third frame, but the Express countered with an 8-1 run to take the lead for good, on their way to the three-set sweep.
 
Leading the way for Monroe in the opening contest was Carmona who drilled a match-high 14 service aces while slamming nine kills, producing a hitting percentage of .571, and compiling six digs. Carmona sets a program single-match record with her 14 aces. The previous record holder was Arielys Colon who notched 13 service wins against Queensborough Community College on October 9, 2021. 

De La Rosa tallied eight putdowns, a .667 hitting percentage, four aces, and a pair of digs for the Express. Diaz anchored the defense with a match-high 10 digs, while scoring seven service victories and adding a trio of helpers. 
 
Also helping Monroe was Ramos who notched 13 assists, four aces, and a duo of defensive bumps. Batista added eight providers and two digs. Stephenson had a solid match with four kills and a dig. Sarai Hernandez compiled three successful attacks, one dig, and an assist. Yamelyn Bonilla registered two kills. Robyn Eddy had a kill, and Brycelynn Paul added a dig. 
 
In Monroe's second victory of the evening over Kingsborough, set scores were 25-11, 25-8, and 25-5. 
 
The Express trailed 2-0 in the opening set but a kill by Carmona and then an ace from Diaz capped off a 7-1 run that gave the Express the lead that lasted for the remainder of the set. Monroe never trailed again the rest of the night as the Blue and Gold led from wire to wire in the second and third stanzas to secure another 3-0 victory.
 
During the second match, Carmona produced nine kills, a .438 hitting percentage, seven aces, two digs, and just as many helpers. De La Rosa recorded eight putdowns, a hitting percentage of .538, four service victories, and a duo of defensive bumps. Diaz was once again the top defender of the contest, providing 13 digs. She also notched five aces and provided four assists on the offensive end. Ramos tallied 17 helpers, five service wins, and a trio of digs. Batista finished with seven assists.
 
Ayleenee Lopez had a strong match for the Express with five kills, a block, and a dig. Hernandez added three kills, two aces, a block, and a defensive bump. Eddy produced a trio of victories on the attack, plus a block. Stephenson chipped in with a kill and a dig. 
 
Monroe will close out the regular season with two Region 15 matches on the campus of Nassau Community College on Saturday. It's a battle of not only nationally ranked teams, but a contest that potentially could determine the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Region 15 Tournament as the country's 14^th-ranked team, the Express, battle nationally ranked No. 12 Fashion Institute of Technology, a team that is undefeated in regional play. That match will begin at 12 p.m. Then, Monroe will battle Borough of Manhattan Community College at approximately 2 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University 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 University 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).