NEW PALTZ, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) - The SUNY College of Old Westbury women's volleyball team edged the Brooklyn Bulldogs, 3-2, in a five-set thriller on Tuesday evening from the West Quad Center in non-conference action.  After winning the first set, 25-15, Brooklyn won the next two sets, 25-17 and 25-20.  The Panthers responded in the fourth winning, 25-13, and completed the rally in the decisive fifth, 15-12.  With the victory, Old Westbury improves to 2-4 overall, while Brooklyn drops to 2-4.

Kimberly Catania punctuated the come-from-behind win with a career-best 13 kills, including the match winning kill. Catania also recorded her first career triple-double by combining 11 digs and a team-high 20 set assists.  Teammates Jocelyn Small, Samantha Howley and Rayn Brown also tallied career-highs.  Small tied her career-high with 40 total attacks and set a career-high with 15 digs.  Howley led all players with a career-best 19 digs, as Brown snatched her first career double-double with 12 kills and a career-best 11 digs.

Jillian Escobar led the hosts with a match-high 14 kills and also posted 15 digs.  Julia Bogdan added 10 kills and Yelizaveta  Malysheva recorded 16 digs.

In the opening set, the Panthers raced out to a 14-5 margin and never saw their lead fall under seven points the entire set.  Escobar and Bogdan recorded back-to-back kills for the Bulldogs, as they diminished the Panthers' lead to 16-8. Consecutive winners by Catania stretched Old Westbury's lead to 18-9, and they maintained their lead to a 25-15 first set win.

Brooklyn evened the match at one set a piece by winning, 25-17 in the second.  The hosts won the last five points of the third to take the lead in the match with a 25-21 third set victory.  Old Westbury started their comeback trail from the opening serve of the fourth.  Three kills by Brown and two service aces by Catania powered Old Westbury to a 13-2 edge in the fourth and later saw their lead increase to 15, 22-7, and coasted to even the match and force and a fifth set.

The stage was set for a nip and tuck decisive set.  The final set was tied on six different occasions, as neither team held more than a four point lead.  Brooklyn took a 5-3 advantage early in the fifth until Old Westbury rattled off four straight unanswered points to take a 7-5 edge.  Both teams exchanged the next eight points to tie the set at 10.  Two errors by the hosts and kills by Small and Catania pushed Old Westbury to a 14-10 advantage.  After one final attempt by the Bulldogs, Catania collected the match winning kill to seal the come-from-behind win.

ST. JOSEPH'S-L.I. GOLDEN EAGLES AND WILLIAM PATERSON PIONEERS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury looks to continue its winning ways when they square off against the St. Joseph's-L.I. Golden Eagles and William Patterson Pioneers on Saturday (September 21) in a tri-match in Patchogue, New York.  First serve is set for 12 p.m. from the Danzi Center.    

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