STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (7-2, 1-0 GNAC) swept matches from conference-rival Anna Maria College (1-6, 0-1 GNAC) and non-league foe Framingham State University (8-3, 1-0 MASCAC) in a volleyball tri-match at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday. Senior setter Kiah Begley (Berwick, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) registered 52 assists, 10 digs and seven service aces in the SJC victories.
Saint Joseph's def. Anna Maria, 3-0 (25-7, 25-5, 25-19)
The Monks cruised past the AMCATS in the opener with the help of a season-best .418 attack percentage, as the Royal Blue committed just three errors in 55 attempts in what was the 2012 GNAC-opener for both programs.
Anna Maria took the first lead of the day on an Alyssa Haberman (Boca Raton, Fla.) service ace, but Saint Joseph's rattled off seven unanswered points and would not trail again until the early plays of the third set.
The second set was a perfecto of sorts for the Monks, as the hosts registered 12 kills and no errors in 17 total attacks for an otherworldly .706 success rate. Sophomore Emilee Penman (Uncasville, Conn.) led the effort with four kills in six bids while senior Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) added three kills in four attacks in the second stanza.
The SJC lineup featured a different look in the third set but, with the help of five kills from junior Brooke Dyer (Lebanon, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas), the hosts managed to pull off a sweep with a 25-19 victory.
Penman paced the Monks' offensive efforts with seven kills – and no miscues – in 11 attempts while Hawkes and Dyer chipped in with five kills apiece in the convincing win. Begley dealt 21 assists with five aces and four digs while freshman Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) produced four kills and junior Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) chipped in eight digs and three aces.
Alex Rodriguez (Puerto Rico, P.R.) led the AMCATS with three kills while Brittany Jackson (Larchmont, N.Y.) tallied 10 digs and Samantha Parker (Athol, Mass.) contributed nine assists in a losing effort.
Overall, the Monks held decided advantages in kills (26-11), assists (26-9), aces (14-5) and digs (38-25) versus the AMCATS.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 5-0 in the history of the series with Anna Maria College. Four of the wins have been of the shutout variety. The Monks' attack percentage in the triumph ranks as the program's fourth-highest over the last 12 seasons.
Framingham State def. Anna Maria, 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-12)
Framingham first-year Danielle Girard (Tivoli, N.Y.) was a one-player wrecking crew in the sandwich match as the outside hitter produced nine kills, six service aces and seven digs in the Rams' 3-0 triumph over the AMCATS.
Sophomore setter Kassandra Jermyn (Auburn, Mass.) chimed in with 11 assists, four digs and three kills and junior outside hitter Andressa Fernandes (Framingham, Mass.) notched five kills and five digs in the victory.
For the AMCATS, Rodriguez belted seven kills in 26 attempts while Jackson posted 15 digs and Megan Leyton (Eastham, Mass.) added five assists in the loss.
Saint Joseph's def. Framingham State, 3-0 (29-27, 25-16, 25-18)
The first set between the Monks and Rams turned out to be a marathon, as the opener between the New England rivals featured six lead changes and was tied on 11 occasions.
St. Joe's held an 8-6 lead after Jermyn committed an error partway through the opening set, but the Rams went on a 6-0 run with the help of kills from Girard, Ashley Nee (Hanson, Mass.) and Jermyn. After plenty of back and forth action, the Monks went on to tie the set at 18-all after Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) and Penman registered aces and Hawkes threw down a kill.
Framingham responded with three quick points, but Saint Joseph's managed to gain their first lead of the nightcap when Hawkes capped a 3-0 surge with a kill off a Begley feed to lift the Royal Blue to a 25-24 edge late in the action. The teams went on to swap points until Girard committed an attack error and Hawkes tallied a service ace to put the opening set in the books.
The second and third sets were not nearly as interesting as the first as the hosts were able to maintain a lead for the duration of the second stanza en route to a 25-16 win and led for the vast majority of play in the third set on the way to a 25-18 triumph and a 3-0 victory over the Rams.
Hawkes was brilliant in the closing contest, recording a double-double with 14 kills and 19 digs while recording a stellar .314 attack percentage, but the effort was nearly overshadowed by Wachowiak, who slammed 10 kills in 22 bids for an even better .409 success rate in the shutout win. Freshman Alli Hollander (Thermal, Calif.) tallied a personal-best 18 digs and boasted four kills, junior Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) added five kills, Russi contributed 16 digs and Begley recorded 31 assists in the nightcap.
For the Rams, Fernandes matched Hawkes' effort with 14 kills and 17 digs and Girard put up 11 kills and 13 digs in a losing bid. Michelle DeJesus (Framingham, Mass.) added 18 digs and Morgan Drew (North Easton, Mass.) was credited with 11 assists in the three-set loss.
Prior to this afternoon, Saint Joseph's and Framingham State had met on the volleyball court three times – all in the last seven seasons – and come up empty-handed on all three occasions. In a sign of how much this program is improving, the Rams blanked the Monks, 3-0, just last fall.
Saint Joseph's will host Lesley University in a non-conference match at 8:00 PM on Thursday, while Framingham plays at Emmanuel on Tuesday (7:00 PM) and Anna Maria travels to Regis on Wednesday (7:00 PM).
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.
