PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Berthiaume '24

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - #6 Saint Joseph's College (15-15) upset #3 Johnson & Wales University (15-13), 3-2 (27-25, 22-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-12), in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's volleyball tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday evening.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances to the GNAC semifinals and will play at #2 Regis College on Thursday at 7:00 PM. For the Wildcats – the reigning GNAC champs – the loss signals the end of the 2023 campaign as well as their run of seven consecutive conference titles.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Monks led by as many as six points in the first set before the Wildcats mounted a 9-3 run to knot the opener at 15-15. St. Joe's held at least a share of the lead until an attack error allowed JWU to claim a 22-21 edge. The visitors countered with a 3-1 surge, capped by an Abby Jerome (Barrington, N.H.) ace, to secure a 24-21 advantage, but the hosts countered again with four unanswered points to claim a 25-24 lead. A JWU attack error kept the Monks' hopes alive and the miscue proved costly, as junior Maggie Sylvester (Barrington, N.H.) belted a kill and sophomore Nadia Sixto (Chattanooga, Tenn.) delivered a service ace to lift the Royal Blue to a 27-25 opening set triumph.

Johnson & Wales opened up a 9-3 lead in the second set, but Saint Joseph's rallied with an 11-2 run to stake a 14-11 cushion. The Wildcats proceeded to tie the set at 16-16 and secured a 20-16 advantage after an SJC attack error. The Monks remained in play with kills from Victoria Briones (El Paso, Texas) and Larisa Comolli (Nashua, N.H.), but the hosts managed to escape with a 25-22 set win.

St. Joe's seemed poised to win the third set after building a 14-11 lead, but Johnson & Wales had other plans and tied the frame at 16-16 before notching a 9-4 outburst en route to clinching a 2-1 match lead.

With their backs against the wall the Monks came out swinging in the fourth set with 13 kills and four errors in 27 attempts for a corresponding .333 hitting percentage in a convincing 25-17 win. Saint Joseph's added four aces and six total blocks while forcing a deciding fifth set.

The Wildcats looked to stave off defeat with a 5-0 run to claim an early 6-2 lead in the fifth frame before Sixto ignited a 4-0 burst with a pair of aces and a kill to make it a 6-6 score. Several plays later the Monks rattled off a 5-1 run to take a 12-10 edge. JWU tied the set at 12 apiece, but SJC countered with three unanswered points – including kills from Comolli and Sylvester – to earn the upset victory.

TEAM STATS:

Johnson & Wales held the lead in kills (63-48), hitting percentage (.202 / .192), assists (47-39), and digs (73-70) while Saint Joseph's registered an advantage in service aces (12-6) and total blocks (12-4) in the triumph.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sylvester paced the Monks with 13 kills and added three digs and four block assists
• Briones notched a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs
• Comolli added eight kills, six digs, and six total blocks
• Sixto recorded five kills, three aces, and four total blocks
• Junior Hanna Webster (Alvin, Texas) chipped in with four kills and four total blocks
• Jerome posted four aces and 18 digs
• Senior Kailyn Chamberlin (Milford, N.H.) also registered a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs
• Senior Allison McMullen (Jacksonville, Fla.) contributed three aces and 10 digs
• Junior Ava Brownsword (Richmond, Vt.) belted four kills

LEADERS – JOHNSON & WALES:

• Peyton Oliver had a busy night with 27 kills and 13 errors in 69 attempts with 16 digs
• Sarah Miller posted 18 kills on 54 attempts with three aces and 14 digs
• Michela Voit delivered 24 assists while Kelsie Tretera added 20 assists
• Sierra Nausieda picked up a match-high 23 digs
• Ajie Jagne and Katelyn O'Brien chipped in with six kills apiece

NOTEWORTHY:

• Tonight's victory over the Wildcats is the Monks' first since the 2011 campaign – prior to this evening JWU had defeated SJC in 14 consecutive meetings, including a 3-0 triumph in Providence on September 30th
• The postseason win is the Monks' second since Saint Joseph's joined the GNAC in 2007 and first since the Royal Blue edged Simmons by a 3-2 score in a home quarterfinal on November 3rd, 2015
• For the Wildcats, the GNAC tourney setback brings an end to the team's 21-match conference tournament win streak; JWU's last GNAC postseason loss was a 3-1 GNAC Championship defeat at the hands of Rivier on November 8th, 2014
• The loss also snaps the Wildcats' home playoff winning streak of 30 matches; JWU's last setback on their home court: a five-set defeat to Rivier on November 3rd, 2007