CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – The #15-seed Monroe University – Bronx women's volleyball team had its incredible season end with a tight three-set loss to seventh-seeded and nationally ranked No. 9 Hudson Valley Community College in an NJCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Tournament Consolation match at Alliant Energy PowerHouse Arena on Friday morning. Set scores were 25-20, 27-25, and 25-17.

It was a successful season for the Express (20-7) as they captured their fourth consecutive district title and were competitive against several of the country's top teams. 

Leading the way for Monroe – Bronx in the consolation contest was Cherlialix Carmona who provided nine kills and 13 digs, both match highs. Gabriela De La Rosa compiled seven putdowns, four aces, and two defensive bumps. Aleishka Diaz tallied nine digs, five service wins, and just as many providers. Brycelynn Paul also had a strong match defensively with nine digs of her own. Robyn Eddy generated six kills and two blocks.

The Blue and Gold got off to a slow start in the opening set, falling behind by a score of 10-4. The highlights for Monroe during that stretch were back-to-back service aces by De La Rosa. Later in the stanza, MU - Bronx trailed 19-12, but block assists by Carmona and Sarai Hernandez, plus a putdown by De La Rosa, pulled Monroe to within five. 

The Express continued to inch closer over the next several rallies as an ace by Julia Ramos narrowed the Vikings' lead to 21-18. After Hudson Valley (26-1) extended its hold to five, Monroe got two of those points back, capped off by a kill courtesy of Eddy, to make it a 23-20 game. However, the Vikings scored the final two points to clinch the opening set. 

Monroe fell behind in the second frame, 3-0, but countered with three unanswered points, concluded by a successful attack from Carmona, to even it up. The Vikings responded with a 3-0 blitz of their own, but then Monroe won three straight rallies thanks to a putdown each by Eddy and Hernandez, plus an error by Hudson Valley. Each team split the next 10 points to make it an 11-11 deadlock. The Express gained momentum at that point as an ace from De La Rosa and then a kill from Eddy gave the Blue and Gold a 13-11 benefit. The Vikings scored three straight to jump back ahead but then Ramos and Aleishka Diaz helped Monroe regain the vantage with a kill and an ace, respectively. 

Hudson Valley won the next three rallies to put Monroe in a two-point hole, but the Express got back on track to tie the match at 17 thanks to a kill from Ayleenee Lopez and a service victory courtesy of Kaileex Batista. After each team scored an additional point, Hudson Valley gained the momentum by going on a 4-1 run to put the Express in a 22-19 disadvantage. It eventually became a 24-21 score in favor of the Vikings. 

Just like they have done all season, Monroe – Bronx fought back as a kill by Carmona capped off three straight points to even it up at 24. After the Vikings scored the next point, Carmona nailed another victory on the attack to knot the match up at 25. 

Unfortunately for Monroe, Hudson Valley recovered and scored the final two points to earn a tight 27-25 win in the second set to put the Blue and Gold in a 2-0 hole in the overall match. 

The Express' rally attempt at the end of the previous game carried over into the third as a solo block by Hernandez highlighted an early run that gave Monroe a 6-3 lead. Diaz followed with an ace to increase Monroe's advantage to four. Hudson Valley scored the next trio of points to pull to within one but then committed two straight errors to inflate Monroe's benefit to 9-6. 

The MU - Bronx Express eventually had a 10-7 lead, but the Vikings scored eight points in a row to catapult to a 15-10 vantage. Monroe fought back with three unanswered points, capped off by Eddy's putdown, to shrink its deficit to 15-13. Hudson Valley responded with its own three-point blitz to regain its five-point positive position. 

It was the Express' turn to clutch the momentum as a kill by De La Rosa and a pair of errors by the opposition narrowed the Blue and Gold's disadvantage to 18-16. However, the Vikings flipped it back into their favor with a 3-0 run to make 21-16 in favor of Hudson Valley. 

Monroe scored next but could not reclaim the momentum as the Vikings scored the final four points to clinch the set, the match, and a berth in the next round of the NJCAA Tournament Consolation bracket. 

Helping the Express during the contest was Ramos who produced seven assists and six digs. Hernandez added four assists and a duo of blocks. Ayleenee Lopez chipped in on defense with five digs. Batista provided four helpers and three defensive bumps. Diamondnique Stephenson added a dig.

For the Vikings, Jocelyn Caputo tallied eight kills, a .263 hitting percentage, eight digs, and a pair of aces. Lillian Frios notched seven putdowns, just as many digs, and six blocks. Brooke Poutre added six successful attacks and nine spike-neutralizing bumps. Gabriella Kholstinin had a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs, while providing two kills and three blocks. Madison LaCouture added seven kills with 12 digs, while Avery McPherson recorded seven defensive bumps and three assists.

The Express will return to the court in August of 2026. 

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, 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).