CCRI Volleyball Wins Silver Bracket at Dragon Invite!
09.04.18
Samantha Elkas
Warwick, R.I. – September 4, 2018: The CCRI Lady Knights volleyball team continued play in the Dragon Invite at Howard Community College in Columbia, MD on Sunday. The Lady Knights faced the Owls of Harford Community College in their first match Sunday losing a heartbreaker 3-2. The los put the Lady Knights in the Silver Bracket where they faced the Community College of Beaver County who they beat 3-0 putting them in the Silver Bracket Finals versus CCBC-Essex who they beat 3-1. Not only did CCRI win the Silver Bracket of the Dragon Invite but Freshman Libero Paola Almarante (Woonsocket, RI) earned Dragon Invitational All-Tournament honors for her excellent efforts over the weekend. Overall, it was an excellent weekend for the Lady Knights volleyball team with three wins and two losses to even their record to 4-4 on the season
Match 1 CCRI- 2 Harford- 3 (21-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-20 and 11-15)
This match was one for the ages with both teams battling tooth and nail to garner the hard-fought victory and the Owls of Harford pulling out the deciding fifth set in a tight 15-11 set. With the loss CCRI was placed in the Silver Bracket and would have to face the Community College of Beaver County in the Silver Bracket Semi-finals. Leading the way for the Lady Knights versus Harford was Freshman Yoeliz Serrano Vargas (Providence, RI) with 12 Kills and seven Solo Blocks for 19 total points. Helping her younger sister was Sophomore Ivelisse Serrano Vargas (Providence, RI) with 12 Kills, two Aces, three Solo Blocks and a team-high 22 Digs. In addition, Sophomore Samantha Elkas (Cumberland, RI) with five Kills and Ace and seven Solo Blocks and Danielle D'Andrea (Lincoln, RI) authored a whopping 38 Assists and nine Digs. Also helping CCRI out defensively was Paola Almarante (Woonsocket, RI) with 14 Digs.
Silver Bracket Semi-Finals: CCRI- 3 CC Beaver County- 0 (27-25, 25-22 and 25-20)
In the Silver Bracket Semi-finals the Lady Knights faced the Community College of Beaver County which they dispatched with in three very close sets. However, after their five-set donnybrook with Harford a three setter is just what the doctor ordered. Leading the way for CCRI was Yoeliz Vargas with seven Kills and Sam Elkas with three Kills, a Dig and an Ace. Also helping was Setter Danielle D'Andrea with 12 assists and a Dig and Ivelisse Vargas with two Kills and two Digs.
Silver Bracket Finals: CCRI-3 CCBC-Essex- 1 (16-25, 25-21, 28-26 and 25-20)
The Silver Bracket finals saw the Lady Knights versus the Community College of Baltimore County- Essex (CCBC-Essex). After losing the first set 16-25 the Lady Knights rallied to win three straight sets to take the Silver Bracket Championship. Leading the way for CCRI was Paola Almarante with a team-high 18 Digs which helped earn her Dragon Invitational All-Tournament honors for her outstanding weekend defensively with 48 total Digs. Also helping CCRI was Yoeliz Vargas with 12 Kills and three Solo blocks and Sophomore Samantha Elkas with nine Kills and an Ace. Ivelisse Vargas added four Kills, an Ace and 10 Digs and Danielle D'Andrea had 32 assists and four Digs for the Lady Knights.
The next matches for CCRI will be Saturday the 15th when they host the CCRI Invitational on the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln, RI.
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The Community College of Rhode Island, New England's largest comprehensive community college, enrolls nearly 15,000 students in credit courses and thousands more in non-credit and job training classes. Its athletic program boasts 12 varsity programs and an academic support program for all student-athletes.