STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (2-0) kicked off the 2013 campaign with a pair of shutout victories over Maine Maritime Academy (0-2) and University of Southern Maine (1-1) at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday.

The Monks, featuring four contributing first-year players, opened the day with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-7, 25-22) win over the Mariners and closed out the shutout sweep with a 3-0 triumph over the Huskies to start the year off with consecutive victories for the fourth-consecutive season.

The Huskies topped the Mariners, 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 25-23), in the sandwich match.

Sophomore Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) posted 18 kills and seven total blocks, including six of the solo variety, on the day while freshman Mariah Hebert (Biddeford, Maine) tallied 32 assists, 16 digs and eight service aces in her first two collegiate contests.

Saint Joseph's def. Maine Maritime, 3-0

In the opening match versus Maine Maritime, Saint Joseph's came out of the gates slowly, as evidenced by a -.105 attack percentage in the first set. The Monks trailed late, but rallied to claim a 25-22 victory and a 1-0 advantage and saw the lead grow to 2-0 after posting a dominant 25-7 triumph in the second set. The third set was close throughout, but the hosts utilized nine kills en route to notching a 25-22 win and a 3-0 sweep.

For the Monks, Wachowiak posted a match-high seven kills with three solo rejections, Hebert tallied 11 assists, nine digs and three aces, freshman Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) added 11 digs, three aces and three kills, and rookie Victoria Huntley (Ellsworth, Maine) contributed five kills and five digs in her first NCAA match. Alli Hollander (Thermal, Calif.) chipped in with nine digs, Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) registered seven digs and a pair of aces and Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) put up five digs and two aces for the hosts.

For the Mariners, Ariel Knights (Brookton, Maine) recorded six kills and seven digs, Gillian O'Neal (Burbank, Calif.) posted five kills and 14 digs, Samantha Tumolo (Long Island, N.Y.) chimed in with 12 assists and four digs and Jess Menges (Old Forge, N.Y.) accumulated nine digs in a losing effort.

Southern Maine def. Maine Maritime, 3-1 (BOX)

Amanda Keppel (Springfield, Pa.) was a force for the Huskies in the middle match, notching nine kills, seven aces and 17 digs to help the Huskies open the season with a victory. Megan Nilson (Granby, Conn.) added 10 assists, 10 digs and three aces, Kristina Rubico (Chelmsford, Mass.) tallied seven kills and nine digs, Kelsey Abramson (Deerfield, Mass.) posted five aces, five digs and three kills and Demi Ruder (Clifton, Colo.) contributed seven digs and a pair of aces in the Huskies' 3-1 triumph.

O'Neal notched a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs versus Southern Maine while Melissa Lail (Elizabeth, Colo.) recorded six kills, five aces and nine digs and Knights and Molly Marcotte (Seekonk, Mass.) added 11 digs apiece in the hard-fought loss.

Saint Joseph's def. Southern Maine, 3-0

The Monks and Huskies battled in a first set that required extra points to decide, as the Royal Blue came out on top late, 26-24. Saint Joseph's proceeded to breeze through the following two sets, posting 25-14 and 25-18 wins to claim the team's second shutout in as many matches.

Wachowiak broke out versus the Huskies, notching 11 kills along with four total blocks and a .429 hitting percentage in the nightcap. Senior Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) enjoyed a solid match as well, adding seven kills with a .500 hitting rate, and Hebert racked up 21 assists, seven digs, five aces and a pair of kills for the hosts.

Rubico paced the Huskies with six kills while Keppel tallied 14 digs and Nilson added nine assists in a result that saw USM fall to 1-1 on the year.

The Monks return to the court on Friday in the first of the two-day SJC Autumn Invitational. Saint Joseph's will take on Bates College at 6:00 PM and Husson University at 8:00 PM.

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 350-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.