Box Score
BRONX, N.Y.–Despite a 14-4 rally late in the third set, the Gryphons were unable to pick up a set, as Sarah Lawrence College women's volleyball fell to Lehman College, 3-0, in non-conference action at the APEX on Tuesday.

In the opening set, Sarah Lawrence (0-1) jumped out to a 4-1 lead, helped by run including a service ace by sophomore Molly Busk, but the score eventually leveled out at 10-10. Lehman (3-4) shot out to a 17-12 advantage until the Gryphons broke momentum with a timeout and rattled off an 8-3 run, including back-to-back kills by first-year player Jomana Abdallah (Anaheim, Calif., Fairmont Prep Academy).

With the set knotted 20-20, Lehman sophomore Cari English (Yonkers, N.Y./Spellman) landed consecutive attacks, and junior Besa Zabelaj (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) scored a fifth unanswered point to earn the set for the Lightning, 25-20.

The second set opened with four straight points in the Gryphons' favor, supported by back-to-back kills from first-year player Zoë Spanbroek (Boca Raton, Fla., Saint Andrew's). Lehman responded by stealing six successive points, three by way of aces from freshman Imani Dubois (Bronx, N.Y./J.P. Taravella). Sarah Lawrence was forced to use both of its timeouts early as the Lightning racked up a 13-2 run to take a 13-6 lead.

The teams exchanged a series of side-outs before sophomore Alexis Chapman (Bend, Ore., Bend) put Sarah Lawrence back in the mix with a pair of service aces in a 4-0 run for the Gryphons. Still, the Lightning remained in control, adding four points in a row for the home team en route to a 25-16 set.

In the third set, Lehman tore open a 7-1 lead but a kill and ace from Spanbroek helped to trim the Lightning lead to 11-8. From there, Lehman again went on a tear, pulling away to a 20-10 margin.

Sarah Lawrence sophomore Xina Graham-Vannais (Newtown, Pa., George School) served up six points to lead a late Gryphons charge, and classmate Kitty O'Sullivan (Los Angeles, Calif., Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy) soon added two aces within a five-point run to close the deficit to 22-21 and force the leading Lightning to burn its second timeout.

After a pair of side-outs and ace from Spanbroek, the set was tied at 23-23 until the teams exchanged service errors to make it a 24-24 stalemate. In the end, the Gryphons' 14-4 rally was insufficient to preserve the set, and Lehman's Vanessa Brown (Bronx, N.Y./Lehman) clinched the set, 26-24, and the match.

Spanbroek finished the match with team-highs of seven kills and eight digs, while Lehman's English topped all players with 11 kills. Sarah Lawrence's O'Sullivan notched a foursome of aces, while Graham-Vannais notched the only solo block of the match.

Sarah Lawrence is back on the court on Thursday with a trip to York College for an 8 p.m. match.