PROVIDENCE – The Holy Cross volleyball team began the final day of action at the 21st Annual Friar Volleyball Classic with a 3-1 win over Manhattan before dropping a 3-0 decision to host Providence in the championship match at Alumni Hall.
The split sends Holy Cross to 5-6 on the year while the Jaspers move to 0-8 and the Friars to 8-1.
Junior middle blocker
Lacey Murphy was named to the All-Tournament Team for the Crusaders during the classic hitting .368 with 19 kills to go with 15 total blocks (1.40 B/S) and eight digs, two assists and one ace. Freshman right side
Kat Teepe also joined Murphy on the All-Tournament Team with 18 kills (1.64 K/S), a .326 hitting percentage with six total blocks and four digs.
MATCH ONE SET SCORES:
Crusaders 3, Jaspers 1 (18-25, 26-24, 27-25, 25-18)
HOW MATCH ONE HAPPENED:Â
- Holy Cross tied the opening set 3-3 after a sophomore outside hitter KK Green kill. Manhattan jumped ahead by three 13-10 following an ace forcing the Crusaders into a timeout. Back-to-back kills off the swing of Lacey Murphy and Green put their team down one, 13-12. The Jaspers slowly began to pull away holding a 21-16 edge after a Crusader attack error. They ended up winning the set 25-18.
- The Crusaders scored the opening three points of the second set to take an early advantage. A block from sophomore middle blocker Kyla Harris and senior outside hitter Georgia Murphy with a trio of Manhattan miscues pushed Holy Cross ahead 9-3. The Jaspers came within one, but two straight Georgia Murphy aces increased the lead to 14-9. Manhattan once again dropped the deficit to two, but freshman right side Sarahya College answered with a kill. Down four, the Jaspers scored five straight to take the lead 18-17. Their edge eventually expanded to three, however the Crusaders countered tallying three in a row getting a trio of Georgia Murphy kills tying the set 22-22. The set reached extra serves then junior setter Tuana Ozarpaci skipped the set for a kill and Georgia Murphy posted another ace for the 26-24 win.
- In the important third set, Holy Cross went on a 5-1 run to lead 9-7 using kills from Harris, Teepe, Lacey Murphy and a junior defensive specialist Alana Whitwell ace. The Jaspers jumped back in the lead 13-12 off the strength of four straight points. The teams remained close until Harris notched a kill and a Jasper attack error moved the lead to 23-21. The third set needed extra serves and Lacey Murphy was key producing a kill and a dual block with College for the 27-25 set win.
- A 5-1 run for the Crusaders gave them a 7-6 advantage in the fourth set. Lacey Murphy's third kill of the set with Georgia Murphy's fourth ace of the set helped grow the lead to 14-10 Holy Cross. Another 5-1 Crusader burst getting kills by Georgia Murphy, Lacey Murphy and sophomore outside hitter Emma Sorensen expanded the lead to six, 21-15. Sorensen ended the match with a kill.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Lacey Murphy tied a career-high with 13 kills. It was her first double-digit kill game of 2026.
- Lacey Murphy also has 6+ blocks in four of her last five games.
- Georgia Murphy tied a career-high with four aces.
- Freshman setter/right side Keira Mullen set a personal-best with 14 assists.
- The three-game winning streak (vs. Marist, vs. Stonehill, vs. Manhattan) was the first for the Crusaders since the 2016 season.
MATCH TWO SET SCORES:
Friars 3, Crusaders 0 (19-25, 20-25, 21-25)
HOW MATCH TWO HAPPENED:
- The Crusaders took a 3-2 lead early in the first set following a Providence error. Lacey Murphy and College came together for a block keeping their team down one, 8-7. From there, the Friars used a 7-2 scoring stretch to climb ahead 15-9 at the media timeout. Back-to-back Sorensen kills outside the media break dropped the margin to 15-11. A Teppe kill from the right side brought Holy Cross within three, 18-15. Providence upped the score to five, but the Crusaders kept fighting making it 21-18. Providence called timeout and Holy Cross got a Friar error expanding the run to 4-0 coming within a pair. The Friars posted four in a row including three straight aces for the 1-0 match lead.
- Holy Cross leveled the score 6-6 after an Ozarpaci to College connection. Trailing 8-7, the Crusaders hung five straight as Sorensen produced three kills in that run to lead 12-8. Holy Cross led 15-12 at the media timeout. Providence brought the score to a deadlock 16-16 using a 4-1 mini burst. The Friars eventually took a 22-19 lead before winning the set 25-20.
- A Lacey Murphy kill had Holy Cross in the lead at 5-3 in the third set. Providence led 10-9 until Holy Cross took the lead 13-11 following a Sorensen kill. Behind 14-12, the Friars scored seven straight to leapfrog Holy Cross 19-14 Green brought Holy Cross within three, 20-17. The Friars reached match point until a College kill with a College and Lacey Murphy block dropped the deficit back to three, 24-21. Providence called timeout and scored the final point of the match.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Providence out served Holy Cross in aces 8-to-0.
- Mullen posted double-digit assists for the second consecutive match.
UP NEXT:
- Holy Cross returns to action for a mid-week contest at Stonehill (3-8) on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
- First serve is set for 7 p.m.
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