STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (6-2) won the SJC Autumn Invitational for the second consecutive season with a 3-0 victory over Wentworth Institute (2-5) in the tourney title match on Saturday. Sarah Hawkes '13 (Pownal, ME) notched 13 digs, five aces and six total blocks, all game-highs, in the championship contest.
Hawkes registered 19 kills, eight service aces, 26 digs and 10 total blocks in the Monks' four tournament matches and was selected as the Tournament Most Valuable Player. Teammate Sarah Coffey '14 (Hanover, MA) also garnered All-Tournament honors after posting 11 kills and 21 digs in three games during the tourney.
The All-Tournament Team also included Wentworth's Julie Rahilly '13 (Nashua, NH) and Rebecca Williams '13 (Brockton, MA), Chanleigh Casey '13 (Hartford, NY) of Green Mountain College, and Ally Ciaramitaro '11 (Melrose, MA) of Lyndon State College.
Green Mountain (2-5) defeated Lyndon State (0-4), 3-0, in the tournament consolation contest.
For the Monks, the 6-2 start is the best beginning to a season since the 1997 club – which went on to win the Maine Athletic Conference Championship - posted the same record in its first eight matches. Also, with shutout wins over Green Mountain, Lyndon State and Wentworth in the two-day tourney, St. Joe's notched three consecutive 3-0 triumphs for the first time since 2003.
SJC Autumn Invitational Championship:
Saint Joseph's defeats Wentworth, 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-21)
Kiah Begley '13 (Berwick, ME/Saint Thomas Aquinas) notched a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs and Devon Masse '14 (Hudson, NH) had a team-high eight kills in the Monks' title win over the Leopards. Brooke Dyer '14 (Lebanon, ME/Saint Thomas Aquinas) recorded six kills and eight digs while Coffey added six kills and seven digs in the championship-clincher.
Rahilly and Nicole Wetherbee '13 (Pembroke, MA) both had 11 digs for the Leopards, while Williams posted 19 assists and six digs and Michelle Hobbs '14 (Northwood, NH) contributed with eight kills and 10 digs in the loss.
St. Joe's held an advantage in kills (30-23), hitting percentage (.119-.020), assists (29-22) and digs (55-53) in the win.
Consolation:
Green Mountain defeats Lyndon State, 3-0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-7)
10:00 AM Matches:
Saint Joseph's defeats Lyndon State, 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 25-12)
St. Joe's recorded a season-high 19 aces in the 3-0 win over the Hornets, with Haley Reddick '14 (Brookline, NH) and Alyssa Grigware '13 (Biddeford, ME) belting seven and six, respectively. Reddick added a match-high 22 assists and five digs, while Erica Russi '14 (Debary, FL) and Jordan Pelczar '12 (Meredith, NH) both blasted seven kills in the triumph. The Monks also posted a season-best .210 hitting percentage against the Hornets.
For Lyndon State, Ciaramitaro collected 11 digs and Christine Bailey '11 (Lyndonville, VT) added three kills.
The Monks held large advantages in kills (34-10), attack percentage (.210-.-029), assists (33-9) and digs 46-28).
Wentworth defeats Green Mountain, 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-17)
The Leopards gained entrance into the championship match with a 3-1 win over the Eagles behind a solid effort from Rahilly, who notched 13 kills and five digs in the triumph.
For Green Mountain, Kara Egan '14 (Breezy Point, NY) registered nine kills, 11 digs and a block and Sarah Bills '12 (Warrensburg, NY) chipped in with 19 digs in the losing effort.
St. Joe's will host Lesley College in a non-conference match on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
