Quinnipiac Takes Five-Set Thriller vs. Merrimack in Home Opener

Tuesday, September 29

Hamden, Conn.

6:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

3-11,2-1Metro

Merrimack

0-16,0-3Metro

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Merrimack	25	19	25	18	6	2
Quinnipiac	19	25	23	25	15	3

Women's Volleyball Celebration vs. Merrimack (Sept. 29, 2026 in Hamden, CT)

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Quinnipiac Takes Five-Set Thriller vs. Merrimack in Home Opener

9/29/2026 10:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: QU Athletic Communications

HAMDEN, Conn. — The Quinnipiac women's volleyball team earned its second conference victory of the season on Tuesday afternoon, outlasting Merrimack in a thrilling five-set match (19-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 15-6) at Burt Kahn Court.

Sophia Minlend headlined the Bobcats' attack, hammering down a team-high 14 kills on a .312 hitting percentage while adding nine digs and three service aces.

Klara Olszewska orchestrated the offense, posting a match-high 44 assists to go along with 14 digs.

FINAL SCORE
Quinnipiac 3, Merrimack 2

LOCATION
Hamden, CT | Burt Kahn Court

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (3-11, 2-1 Metro) | Merrimack (0-16, 0-3 Metro)

NOTES

Sophia Minlend is now up to 105 kills for the season, having posted double-digit kill totals in four consecutive matches.
Klara Olszewska leads the team with 305 assists and is averaging 7.82 assists per set.
Giulia Ragusa finished with nine kills and 11 digs.
Asia Belli reached double figures with 11 kills while adding six digs.
Sila Yildiz posted eight kills on an efficient .429 hitting clip alongside a team-high four block assists.
Didar Bulbul anchored the back row with 14 digs.
Sahra Ozbiltekin added eight kills and five digs.
Quinnipiac compiled 10.0 total team blocks and caught fire in the fifth set, hitting .312 in the final frame while holding Merrimack to a .000 hitting percentage.

GAME REWIND

Set 1 (Merrimack 25, Quinnipiac 19): Merrimack controlled the opening frame despite four early ties. The Warriors capitalized on early Quinnipiac attack errors to build an 8-5 cushion. Kills from Giulia Ragusa and Sahra Ozbiltekin kept QU within striking distance, but Merrimack responded with a 4-0 run to push ahead 20-15. The Warriors held on late to close out the frame 25-19.
Set 2 (Quinnipiac 25, Merrimack 19): Quinnipiac answered back in the second set behind strong offensive output, hitting .171 as a group. Asia Belli sparked the net play with five kills in the frame. With the score tied 14-14, a Sophia Minlend service ace sparked a 6-1 run for the Bobcats to pull ahead 20-15. A set-point service ace by Klara Olszewska set up Minlend for a set-ending kill to level the match 1-1.
Set 3 (Merrimack 25, Quinnipiac 23): Set three featured intense back-and-forth action with 12 tied scores and six lead changes. Down 10-7, QU staged a run with kills from Minlend and Ragusa to draw even. Merrimack pulled ahead late at 22-19, but QU rallied with three consecutive points to tie the frame at 22-22. However, Merrimack's Jocelyn Hammerstrand delivered two late kills to secure the 25-23 win for the Warriors.
Set 4 (Quinnipiac 25, Merrimack 18): Quinnipiac dominated the fourth frame, operating at a blazing .407 attack percentage with 16 kills on 27 attempts. Sophia Minlend went on a rampage at the net, putting down seven kills in the set. Behind strong serving sequences from Sila Yildiz and Minlend—including two service aces from Minlend—the Bobcats extended a 9-5 lead into an 18-10 advantage. Vittoria Tonelli chipped in three key kills off the bench as QU rolled to a 25-18 victory to force a deciding fifth set.
Set 5 (Quinnipiac 15, Merrimack 6): The Bobcats dominated the final frame from start to finish. QU opened on a decisive 7-1 surge, fueled by kills from Klara Olszewska, Sophia Minlend, and Giulia Ragusa alongside an Olszewska service ace. Merrimack called a pair of timeouts to stem the tide, but Quinnipiac's defense held firm at the net with blocks from Sila Yildiz, Olszewska, and Asia Belli. Minlend put down two more kills down the stretch before QU forced a final Merrimack attack error on match point to lock up the 15-6 fifth-set win.