Knights Battleground Week 5: Volleyball Receiving Votes in National Poll, #8 Women’s Soccer Routs Bunker Hill 10-0 Behind 6 Goal Effort by Margeory Giron-Reyes, and More

Volleyball:  

Volleyball came into the week 6-1, with a single match against Northern Essex and a weekend Tri-Match at Bristol Community College on the schedule. First, the Knights would play Northern Essex. The opening set was a tightly contested affair, with Northern Essex narrowly winning 27-25. Ashley Nivar Martinez led the charge for Northern Essex with six kills, but the team struggled with a .091 hitting percentage. In contrast, Rhode Island had a tough start as well, posting just a .036 hitting percentage. In the second set, Rhode Island regrouped and asserted its dominance, claiming a decisive 25-15 victory. Julia Polofsky and Sellymar Garcia emerged as key players, contributing three and four kills, respectively. The momentum continued for Rhode Island in the third set, where they won again with a score of 25-15. Sellymar Garcia was particularly effective, racking up nine kills. Rhode Island sealed the match in the fourth set, winning 25-17. Jaylin Pena also made an impact with six kills.  

Next, the Knights traveled to Bristol Community College, and first faced Bunker Hill, who was their only loss on the season up until this point. The Knights came out to play, seeking revenge from an early season loss. The first set saw Rhode Island take an early lead, aided by solid contributions from players like Jaylin Pena, who recorded four kills and had a hitting percentage of .231. The team collectively managed a hitting percentage of .105. Despite Bunker Hill’s Jessica Patrone delivering nine kills and leading her team with a .261 hitting percentage, they fell short, ending the set with 21 points. In the second set, the intensity ramped up. Rhode Island maintained its momentum, edging out Bunker Hill 25-22. Sellymar Garcia and Trinity Burk each contributed significantly with two kills, while Rhode Island’s defense came alive with key digs. The third set was a nail-biter, as Rhode Island pushed through to win 28-26. Both teams exchanged leads, but Rhode Island’s determination shone through in the clutch moments. Jaylin Pena and Trinity Burk led the scoring for Rhode Island, while Bunker Hill's Empress Nordeus added four kills. This was a heard turning win for Rhode Island, beating the 11-3 Bulldogs. Rhode Island is now receiving votes in the National Poll, just outside #15.  

In their last match of the weekend, the Knights faced the home team of the Tri-Match in Bristol Community College. The first set was tightly contested, with both teams trading points. Rhode Island edged out Bristol 26-24, thanks to solid performances from players like Julia Polofsky and Jaylin Pena, who contributed key kills. The second set saw a shift in momentum as Bristol capitalized on Rhode Island's errors, taking the set 25-23. In the third set, Rhode Island regrouped and regained control, winning 25-20. The fourth set mirrored the third, as Rhode Island continued to apply pressure and secured a 25-20 victory. The team found a better rhythm, with standout performances from Jaylin Pena, who tallied four kills, and Trinity Burk, who added two more.  

Volleyball will take on Northern Essex Community College on Tuesday, October 15 at 6:30 PM. Then on Saturday, October 19th, they will travel to Massasoit Community College to face both Massasoit and Roxbury Community College.  

Men’s Soccer 

The CCRI men's soccer team traveled to Bristol Community College for a 6:30pm game on October 8th, 2024, under the lights.  This would be the second meeting for these two teams, as the Knights lost to the Bayhawks 4-3 in their first meeting this season.  

The Knights came ready to battle. Andrew Jackson came out firing, hitting the crossbar and sending multiple shots challenging the Bayhawk net minder in the first half. Both teams battled through a very physical game.  The Knights were able to keep their composure and kept their heads in the game.  The half ended in a 0-0 tie.  Nichols Pires played an amazing game, making precision tackles and being all over the field. Braiden Corbett also followed suit inspiring the defense to step up to the challenges.  Kare Fapohunda, Antonio Rodriguez and Anthony Franco all played excellently along the backline, keeping things in front of the Knights goalie, Elijah Cruz. The offense started to knock the ball around more in the second half, when at the 67th minute, Devin Cabral made a move into the middle of the field and found Sebastian Velez open. Velez was able to take a touch to adjust the ball, before letting go a powerful low driven ball into the back of the net, giving the Knights the 1-0 lead.  The Knights had several chances in the box, Ethan Paiva and Yvens Zamor all pushed forward trying to get the second goal.  Clearances from the line and hectic play denied the second goal from the Knights.  On the other end, the Bayhawks took advantage late off an uncharacteristic mistake from the defense, were able to tie the game after an initial save effort from Elijah Cruz.  The Knights were beat to the rebound and Kevin Herrera from Bristol tied the game, 1-1.  The game ended 1-1, which seemed fair considering the effort put in by both teams.  

CCRI will travel on Tuesday, October 15th, to face Northern Essex Community College at 7 PM.  They will wrap up the week with a home game against Massasoit Community College on Saturday, October 19 at 2:00 PM.  

Women’s Soccer:  

In dominant display, the Community College of Rhode Island overwhelmed Bunker Hill Community College with a resounding 10-0 victory in their one game of the week. The team showcased an impressive offensive performance, scoring six goals in the first half and adding four more in the second. 

The scoring frenzy began early, with Margeory Giron-Reyes finding the net just four minutes into the match, assisted by Kassidy Sisco. Herlinda Guitirez quickly followed up with another goal at the eight-minute mark, extending Rhode Island's lead to 2-0. The onslaught continued as Giron-Reyes scored two more goals within the first 18 minutes, bringing her total to three in the opening half. Kylie Brito added to the tally with a goal in the 13th minute, assisted by Giron-Reyes, and Guitirez capped off a stellar first half with her second goal at the 33-minute mark. By halftime, Rhode Island had established a commanding 6-0 lead. The second half saw more of the same, with Giron-Reyes scoring her fourth goal at the 55-minute mark, assisted by Mayah Santos. She added her fifth goal shortly after, increasing the lead to 8-0. Irais Franco set up Giron-Reyes for her sixth goal at the 65-minute mark, and Leah Neves capped off the scoring for Rhode Island in the 74th minute, bringing the final score to 10-0. 

Key players for Rhode Island included Margeory Giron-Reyes, who scored six goals and provided one assist, and Herlinda Guitirez, who contributed two goals and an assist. Leah Neves earned a clean sheet in goal, making three saves throughout the match. Bunker Hill struggled to mount any offense, failing to register a shot on goal and unable to break through Rhode Island's solid defense. 

Upcoming this week for the Knights is Springfield Technical Community College on Wednesday, October 15th at 4 PM in Springfield, MA, and then will host Bristol Community College on Saturday, October 19th at 12 PM.  

Player Spotlight: Margeory Giron-Reyes 

Margeory Giron-Reyes had the game of her career last week, scoring SIX times in a 10-0 rout of Bunker Hill. Giron-Reyes, a returner, lead the Knights to a 1-0 week. After coming into the match scoreless, she has been waiting to break out for the #8 Nationally Ranked Knights. She was able to score three times before the 20 minute mark, accounting for a hat –trick in each HALF. Giron-Reyes and the Knights will look to continue their dominance this week against Springfield and Bristol CC.