STANDISH, Maine – University of Maine-Fort Kent (9-3) captured the SJC Autumn Invitational Championship with a 3-0 (25-13,25-20,25-16,0-0) over Saint Joseph's College (3-4) at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday afternoon. Husson University (7-7) claimed the consolation title with a 3-0 (25-20,25-21,25-14) win over Maine-Presque Isle (1-12).
Saint Joseph's, 2-2 in tourney play, opened Saturday with a 3-1 (25-19,20-25,25-23,25-9) triumph over Husson, which also posted a 2-2 record in the 17th Annual SJC Autumn Invitational. Maine-Fort Kent, undefeated (4-0) in tournament action, kicked off the second day with a dominant 3-0 (25-10,25-1,25-14) win over Maine-Presque. The Owls were 0-4 in this year's tourney.
CHAMPIONSHIP – Maine-Fort Kent def. Saint Joseph's, 3-0 (25-13,25-20,25-16)
The Monks fell victim to an inconsistent attack, as the tourney hosts posted a negative-.080 kill rate with 16 kills and 26 errors at the net in a losing effort. The Bengals posted advantages in kills (26-16), assists (23-16), aces (7-3), digs (83-75), and blocks (9-3) in the title bout.
SAINT JOSEPH'S LEADERS
- Senior Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) led the Monks with eight kills and added eight digs
- Junior Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine) contributed five kills and three block solos
- Sophomore Jennelle Thompson (Farmington, N.H.) boasted a match-high 34 digs
- Sophomore Emma Tirrell (Scarborough, Maine) chipped in with 15 assists and eight digs
- Senior Victoria Huntley (Ellsworth, Maine) tallied two kills and 11 digs
- Freshman Bailey Gryskwicz (Standish, Maine) added nine digs
MAINE-FORT KENT LEADERS
- Senior Fabiola Gutierrez (Lindsay, Calif.) produced seven kills and 19 digs
- Senior Brianna Krystek (Fairfield, Calif.) totaled eight kills and 16 digs
- Junior Hope Driscoll (Fairfield, Calif.) netted four kills, four digs, and four block solos
- Junior Kamalani Kahele (Kalihi, Hawaii) delivered four aces with 24 digs
- Senior Tara Kelley (Taft, Calif.) chimed in with 12 digs
CONSOLATION – Husson def. Maine-Presque Isle, 3-0 (25-20,25-21,25-14)
Husson closed out tournament play with a shutout victory over Maine-Presque with the help of advantages in kills (21-16), assists (20-14), and aces (8-2). The Owls owned the lead in digs (67-65) and were more efficient at the net with a .054 attack rate – opposed to the Eagles' negative-.018 mark – in the losing bid.
HUSSON LEADERS
- Junior Bailey Cote (Biddeford, Maine) notched six kills
- Sophomore Kaitlyn Woods (Charlton, Mass.) posted five kills with 19 digs
- Freshman Hanna Hembrow (Milford, N.H.) added two kills, three service aces, seven assists, and nine digs
- Freshman Mary Grace Power (Bellerose Village, N.Y.) chipped in with two kills, two aces, and 14 digs
- Freshman Delaney Chisholm (Tewksbury, Mass.) netted 12 digs
MAINE-PRESQUE ISLE LEADERS
- Senior Abby Jewett (Bass Harbor, Maine) delivered five kills, two aces, and 20 digs
- Sophomore Hannah Williams (Park Falls, Nova Scotia) dealt five kills with 11 digs
- Freshman Laura Aroz (Tucson, Ariz.) chipped in with 11 assists and nine digs
- Freshman Esmeralda Galvan (Bullhead City, Ariz.) added 17 digs
Saint Joseph's def. Husson, 3-1 (25-19,20-25,25-23,25-9)
The Monks posted solid numbers across the board in a four-set victory over the Eagles, as the hosts held leads in kills (31-19), assists (28-17), aces (11-8), and digs (78-67) in the morning match.
Requiring a win to face the Bengals in the championship, St. Joe's battled through three hard-fought sets before taking advantage of 10 Husson attack errors in a convincing 25-9 fourth-set triumph.
SAINT JOSEPH'S LEADERS
- Gosselin posted nine kills, three aces, and 14 digs
- Huntley tallied seven kills and 10 digs
- Freshman Kelsey Bickford (Somersworth, N.H.) chipped in with six kills and four digs
- Thompson came up with 26 digs
- Gryskwicz chimed in with five aces and five digs
- Sophomore Sarah Dyer (Seabrook, N.H.) registered 22 assists and 12 digs
- Copp contributed four kills, five digs, and two total blocks
HUSSON LEADERS
- Power paced the Eagles with nine kills and added seven digs
- Hembrow recorded three kills, 11 assists, and 16 digs
- Chisholm added 22 digs
- Woods chipped in with 14 digs
- Junior Nia Arranaga (San Jose, Calif.) contributed three kills, three aces, and three digs
Maine-Fort Kent def. Maine-Presque Isle, 3-0 (25-10,25-1,25-14)
The Bengals kicked off their Saturday morning with perhaps the most dominant effort of the eight-match tournament with a .324 attack rate (28 kills, seven errors, 66 attempts) and 10 aces in a sweep that required less than one hour to complete.
MAINE-FORT KENT LEADERS
- Krystek led all players with 12 kills and an astounding .571 attack percentage with no errors in 21 bids
- Junior Selina Castro (Fairfield, Calif.) registered 24 assists, five aces, and nine digs
- Gutierrez notched five kills, three aces, and nine digs
- Kahele added 14 digs
MAINE-PRESQUE ISLE LEADERS
- Jewett tallied four kills and nine digs
- Freshman Cheyenne McMillen (Bells, Texas) contributed four kills and four digs
- Aroz netted nine assists and seven digs
- Williams posted two kills and eight digs
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
- MVP: Hope Driscoll – UMFK
- Brianna Krystek – UMFK
- Selina Castro - UMFK
- Jordynne Copp – Saint Joseph's
- Shadai Gosselin – Saint Joseph's
- Kate Woods – Husson
- Abby Jewett – UMPI
FRIDAY'S RESULTS:
- Saint Joseph's 3, Me.-Presque Isle 0 (25-17,25-14,25-16) - BOX
- Me.-Fort Kent 3, Husson 0 (25-13,25-12,25-11) - BOX
- Me.-Fort Kent 3, Saint Joseph's 1 (25-17,25-16,23-25,25-19)- BOX
- Husson 3, Me.-Presque Isle 0 (26-24,25-18,25-14) - BOX
- Saint Joseph's 3, Husson 1 (25-19,20-25,25-23,25-9) - BOX
- Me.-Fort Kent 3, Me.-Presque Isle 0 (25-10,25-1,25-14) - BOX
- Husson 3, Me.-Presque Isle 0 (25-20,25-21,25-14) - BOX
- Me.-Fort Kent 3, Saint Joseph's 0 (25-13,25-20,25-16) - BOX
#GOMONKS
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.