BRONX, N.Y. – Led by junior outside hitter Victoria Demmene's 10 kills, the Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team swept Manhattan 25-21, 25-14, 25-22 at Draddy Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
 
The Knights picked up their first win of the season in dominant fashion as they limited the Jaspers to a .017 attack percentage in the contest. Demmene's offensive impact also extended to the serving line where she totaled three aces. Sophomore Sophia Spiridonakos added six kills for the Knights and matched classmate Brooke Stevens with a team-high three blocks in the victory.
 
Erin Hoehner paced the Jaspers (2-13) with eight kills in the loss. She also recorded five of her team's eight total blocks.
 
With Demmene and Magdalena Maksimovic leading the charge, the Knights broke open the first set and established a 19-13 lead. Maksimovic would finish with eight kills on the night. With the comfortable lead in hand, a kill by freshman Mujay Mambu and an attack error by the Jaspers finalized the first-set win for the Burgundy and Blue.
 
The second set saw the Knights jump on top from the start. Six straight points for the Knights highlighted by a Maksimovic ace set the wheels in motion for the double-digit win. The Jaspers would eventually claw to within one, 13-12, before the Knights pulled away again.
 
Demmene hammered three kills as the Knights close the second frame on a 12-2 run and netted a 2-0 match lead. In that second set, the Burgundy and Blue notched a match-best .348 attack percentage, committing just three errors to go along with 11 kills.
 
After racing out an 8-2 lead in the final frame, the Knights appeared poised to cruise home with an easy win. Spiridonakos recorded a kill and Maksimovic served up an ace over the course of the run however, the Jaspers would not go away quietly.
 
The home team followed a timeout by scoring the next six points to quickly tie the match at eight. Despite the Jaspers' momentum, the Knights remained undeterred. Demmene helped her team get back on track with two points, which contributed to a 6-1 spurt by the Burgundy and Blue.  
 
The Jaspers would hang around but Spiridonakos closed out the match by notching the final two points – a kill and an ace – to complete the straight-set win.
 
The Knights return to Northeast Conference action this weekend. First up is a road test at St. Francis Brooklyn this Friday, October 4 at 4:00 p.m.