NEW YORK, NY – The City College of New York women's volleyball team saw its 2026 CUNYAC Championship run come to an end Monday evening, battling Baruch College in a five-set thriller before falling 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-13, 15-12) in the Championship First Round.
The Beavers opened the postseason contest with a strong performance, taking the first set 25-23. Baruch responded in the second, evening the match with a 25-23 victory. CCNY regained the advantage in the third set, edging the Bearcats 26-24 to take a 2-1 lead.
Facing elimination, Baruch rallied in the fourth set, earning a 25-13 win to force a deciding fifth set. The Beavers continued to fight in the final frame, but the Bearcats held on for a 15-12 victory to secure the match.
Holly Guzman led the Beavers offensively with 10 kills, while Ivanna Zamora Sanchez contributed nine kills and a team-high five service aces. Jia Hua Liu added eight kills and two blocks.
Danuzia Caixeta Palmer paced the offense with 19 assists, while Yamilci Izquierdo chipped in 14 assists. Defensively, Rosalynda Russo recorded a match-high 21 digs, followed by Rachael Reyes with 19 digs. Zamora Sanchez added nine digs to round out the defensive effort.
CCNY finished with 14 service aces and 73 digs, keeping the pressure on Baruch throughout the five-set battle.
The Beavers conclude the 2026 campaign with a 7-17 overall record and a 2-4 mark in CUNYAC play.
