Dutchess Box Score
Monroe Express Box Score
Watch: Sophomore Day Ceremony

New York, New York | Sophomore outside-hitter Nolverys Fernandez (Santiago, Dominican Republic) now sits atop the BMCC women's volleyball record book as the career-leader in total digs, moving past former Panther Thelma Torres '07, during a Regional tri-match against Dutchess Community College and Monroe College (Bronx) on Saturday afternoon. 

Going into her final two matches, Fernandez needed 34 digs to set the record and reached that mark during the four-set of the game against Monroe College (Bronx) in the four-set.

The Panthers split both matches, defeating the Falcons in four-sets 25-15, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, and losing to the Express in a hard-fought five-set battle (15-25,25-22,18-25,28-26,4-15), to finish the regular season with an 8-8 record, while the Falcons drop to 5-15 and the Express improve to 18-3.

Before the first match of the day, the BMCC women's volleyball program paid tribute to is four sophomore student-athletes, Nolverys Fernandez, Irina Kovalchuk (Yuzno-Sakhalinsk, Russia), Lauren Malcolm (Bronx, New York), and Laisha Ulerio (La Vega, Dominican Republic), who were taking part in their final matches at BMCC Gymnasium with a special Sophomore Day ceremony.

For a full photo gallery of the Senior Day ceremony and action shots from the matches, click here.

In the opening victory over Dutchess County Community College, two Panthers recorded double-doubles, as Fernandez led all swingers with a career-high 26 kills to go along with 14 digs, while freshman Kaylin Nieves (New York, New York) dished out a career-best 25 assists to go along with 16 digs. Fernandez and Ulerio also fired a team-best four service aces each. Malcolm led the front row with a team-best two blocks and put away five kills.

Freshman Jaylina Kraker (New York, New York) was the leader of the defense with a career-best 23 digs, while Ulerio posted 20 digs of her own. 

After the Panthers cruised through the first two sets, the Falcons rallied to force a fourth set with a 25-19 victory in the third set. BMCC would get a challenge from Dutchess Community College in the fourth set but still prevail, 25-20.

Dutchess Community College had two players put up double-doubles, with sophomore Winnie Carabin leading the way with a team-high 16 kills and 28 digs, while classmate Riess Lovett dished out 14 assists to go along with 12 digs. Lovett also fired a team-best five service aces in the match. Freshman Nadya Krueger and Emily Aldrich also contributed defensively with 14 digs and ten digs, respectively.

In their final match Monroe College (Bronx), one of the top teams in Region XV, once again two BMCC players registered double-doubles in the game, as Fernandez tied a team-best with 14 kills and a team-high 20 digs, while Nieves dished out a team-high 23 assists to go along with 11 digs. Freshman Andecia Liverpool (Georgetown, Guyana) posted a career-high 14 kills, which also tied a team-best. Nieves also fired a team-high five service aces in the match, while Fernandez had four.

Freshman Alyssa Duran (Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic) and Danielle Singson (Jersey City, New Jersey) contributed on defense with 16 digs and 13 digs, while Ulerio had 15 in the match.

After the Express cruised to a comfortable first-set victory 25-15, the Panthers battled back in the second, with leads of four (14-10) and three (18-15), to tie the match at a game apiece with a 25-22 win. The third set was deadlocked numerous times early, with neither team trailing by more than one until Monroe College (Bronx) ended the game with a 13-7 surge to take it 25-18. BMCC stormed right back in a seesaw battle in the fourth-set that again saw both teams tied numerous times, and several set points fended off before the Panthers took it, 28-26, to set up a decisive fifth set. The fifth set was the least competitive of the whole match as the Express rolled, 15-4, in a 3-2 decision.

Monroe College Express had three players record double-digit kill games, headlined by Dennyfer Hernande, who buried a team-high 19 kills in the match, while Luz Frias and Julie Trowers both contributed 13 kills and ten kills, respectively. Irianna Castillo fired a team-best three service aces, and Trowers led all players with three blocks.

Jeribeth Hodge dished out a match-high 40 assists, while Smeritte Colon led the defense with four digs.

Up next, BMCC will make its 19th appearance in the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship, Monday, October 21, at BMCC Gymnasium. The semifinal matches will feature #1 against #4 and #2 against #3, with the Championship match scheduled for later that evening to determine the conference champion. The Panthers are the second-seed and, will face off against third-seed Kingsborough Community College at 4 p.m, while five-time defending champion and top-seed Queensborough Community College battles four-seed Bronx Community College at 6 p.m. 

For More information about the 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship, please visit www.bmccathletics.com earlier this week.