WENHAM, MA – Saint Joseph's (20-7, 7-3 GNAC) shut down Gordon College (15-13, 2-5 CCC), 3-0, in non-conference women's volleyball action on Thursday night. Senior setter Kiah Begley (Berwick, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) registered 26 assists, 11 digs, four kills and three assists in the victory.
Despite a strong opening set in which both teams vied heavily for the lead, the set and the night in the end belonged to the Monks, who claimed the opening frame, 25-22, before cruising to 25-7, 25-14 wins in the following sets to secure the sweep victory.
Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) championed the Monks' effort with 15 digs, eight kills, and two solo blocks on the night, while teammate Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) tallied a match-high 11 kills and Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) added 15 digs in three sets of work. Junior Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) chipped in with seven kills and a pair of solo blocks in the victory.
For the Fighting Scots, senior Keri Hustus (Eastford, Conn.) paced Gordon's effort with 16 digs together with Lauren Kranyak (Jr./Locust Grove, Va.) and Joy Kimmel (So./Madison, Conn.), who pitched in eight digs, eight kills and 22 assists, 12 digs, respectively.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 2-10 versus Gordon College since the start of the 1991 campaign. The Monks' last victory over the Scots was a 3-2 triumph in 1997. St. Joe's has reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1997 when the Royal Blue went 20-14 en route to claiming the Maine Athletic Conference Championship.
The Monks close out the regular season with a GNAC tri-match at Emerson College with Norwich University on Saturday. St. Joe's takes on the host-Lions at 11:00 AM before facing the Cadets in a 1:00 PM contest.
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.
