STANDISH, ME – A trio of Saint Joseph's College volleyball players have claimed Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Weekly honors.
Senior Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) has garnered GNAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades for the third time this fall and freshman Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) has earned her second GNAC Rookie of the Week honor of the year. Junior libero Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) has claimed her first career GNAC Weekly Honor Roll mention.
Hawkes tallied 49 kills and 77 digs in a 4-0 week for the Monks and became the first player in program history to reach the 1,000-kill plateau in a triumph over University of Saint Joseph on Saturday. In doing so, Hawkes became just the fourth player in GNAC women's volleyball history to accumulate 1,000 kills and digs during their career. The senior recorded 15 kills and 32 digs against Mount Ida on Monday, notched eight kills and 10 digs in a three-set win over Husson on Wednesday, and added 20 kills, 24 digs and a solid .306 attack percentage in a five-set triumph over Simmons College on Saturday.
Wachowiak, the GNAC hitting percentage leader, was a major contributor in a 4-0 week for the Monks, as she produced 55 kills, 17 total blocks and an outstanding .393 attack percentage over four matches. She opened the reporting period with 16 kills and a .419 attack rate versus Mount Ida on Monday and posted 12 kills and a .505 attack percentage in a three-set win over Husson on Wednesday. She continued to play well on Saturday, when she notched 27 total kills and 11 total blocks in a GNAC tri-match wins over Simmons and University of Saint Joseph.
Russi registered 79 digs with an average of 4.94 per set in a 4-0 week for Saint Joseph's. The junior tri-captain tallied 26 digs versus Mount Ida on Monday, 14 in a three-set triumph over Husson on Wednesday, and 39 in a GNAC tri-match sweep with wins over Simmons and University of Saint Joseph on Saturday.
Saint Joseph's will play at Emmanuel College in a GNAC match scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM on Wednesday night.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
