STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (10-2, 2-0 GNAC) defeated Simmons College (2-14, 1-1 GNAC), 3-0, and Suffolk University (6-7, 0-2 GNAC), 3-1, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's volleyball action at the Harold Alfond Center on Saturday.

The Monks started the day with a shutout victory over the Sharks of Simmons College and were led by freshman Victoria Huntley (Ellsworth, Maine), who notched a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs in the triumph. Sophomore Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) added eight kills and six block solos while senior libero Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) contributed 11 digs and a pair of aces and freshman setter Mariah Hebert (Biddeford, Maine) tallied 26 assists and nine digs for the hosts.

Senior Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) chipped in with six block solos and freshman Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) added five kills and nine digs in the morning match.

The 3-1 victory over Suffolk clinched the Monks' first GNAC tri-match sweep of the season and featured some of the best play the team has put forth so far this fall. Led by double-digit kill efforts from Wachowiak (10), Gosselin (10) and Huntley (10), Saint Joseph's managed to overcome a marathon 29-27 second-set loss with convincing 25-19 and 25-18 wins to improve to 2-0 in conference play.

Hebert again quarterbacked the SJC offense effectively and tallied four kills, 30 assists, a pair of aces and nine digs, Russi posted 32 digs – a new program four-set record - and two aces, sophomore Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) added 14 digs and three serve aces and Bannister boasted eight total blocks – five solo, three assist – in the triumph.

Gosselin also recorded 11 digs and a trio of aces and Huntley added eight digs in the final match of the day.

The Monks' 10-2 start is the program's best opening to the season since 1996, when the Monks began the year with a 12-2 mark en route to recording a Maine Athletic Conference championship that fall.

Saint Joseph's will host Daniel Webster College in a single non-conference match on Tuesday at 7:00 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 430-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.