NEW YORK, N.Y. – The City College of New York women's volleyball team opened its 2026 season Thursday night with a hard-fought battle against Farmingdale State College, pushing the Rams to five sets before ultimately falling, 3-2, at Nat Holman Gymnasium.
The Beavers dropped the opening two sets, 25-16 and 25-12, but refused to go quietly. CCNY responded with back-to-back victories in the third and fourth sets, 25-22 and 25-23, to force a decisive fifth set.
Farmingdale State edged CCNY, 15-9, in the final set to secure the five-set victory and open the season at 1-1. The Beavers begin the 2026 campaign 0-1.
Despite the loss, the night featured a major career milestone for senior Rosalynda Russo, who recorded her 1,000th career dig as a Beaver.
Russo finished the match with a team-high 26 digs, along with two service aces and two assists, anchoring the CCNY defensive effort throughout the five-set battle.
Her 26 digs helped CCNY finish the match with 81 team digs, while keeping the Beavers within striking distance during the comeback effort.
CCNY found its rhythm after the first two sets, posting a .061 hitting percentage in the third set before improving to .068 in the fourth.
The Beavers' offensive attack was led by Ivanna Zamora Sanchez, Jia Hua Liu, and Lesly Almonte, who each recorded nine kills.
CCNY setter Danuzia Caixeta Palmer directed the offense with a team-high 30 assists while also contributing 10 digs and two service aces.
Rachael Reyes added 17 digs, while Caixeta Palmer's 10 digs gave the Beavers three players with double-digit defensive totals.
After trailing 2-0, CCNY took the third set, 25-22, before rallying again in the fourth. The Beavers erased a late deficit to claim the fourth, 25-23, sending the match to a fifth set in front of 141 fans at Nat Holman Gymnasium.
Farmingdale State ultimately prevailed in the deciding set, 15-9.
Next, the Beavers return to competition on Saturday for a tri-match hosted by Sarah Lawrence College. CCNY will face Regis College at 11:00 am, followed by Sarah Lawrence at 1:00 pm.
