GORHAM, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (0-1) suffered a season-opening 3-0 (20-25, 12-25, 20-25) loss at the hands of University of Southern Maine (1-0) in a non-conference volleyball match at Hill Gymnasium on Friday evening.
The Monks started off well, but in the end had no answer for USM senior outside hitter Jess Williamson (Goffstown, N.H.), who tallied 14 kills and 13 digs for the Huskies.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore Kelsey Bickford (Somersworth, N.H.) paced the Monks with seven kills and a .273 hitting percentage
- Senior Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine) added five kills and two total blocks
- Freshman Erin Olson (Stoughton, Mass.) tallied four kills and a pair of total blocks in her collegiate debut
- Junior libero Jennelle Thompson (Farmington, N.H.) registered 13 digs
- Junior setter Sarah Dyer (Seabrook, N.H.) dealt 21 assists
LEADERS – SOUTHERN MAINE:
- Williamson led all players with 14 kills and tied Thompson for the match lead with 13 digs
- Sophomore Kylee Austin (Saco, Maine) added seven kills and three total blocks
- Junior Nicole Schmitz (St. Paul, Minn.) recorded 27 assists and six digs
TEAM STATS:
The Huskies held advantages in kills (36-21), assists (31-21), and aces (14-5) while the Monks maintained a slim 38-36 lead in digs on the evening.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 17-16 versus Southern Maine (since 1989). Since 1989, St. Joe's is now 19-10 in season-openers and this evening's loss counts as the Monks' second-consecutive inaugural setback, as the Royal Blue fell to Maine Maritime in the 2016 opener.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's returns to action with a pair of matches tomorrow, when the Monks face Maine Maritime (12:00 PM) and University of New England (2:00 PM) at USM.
#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.
