Providence, R.I. - Junior middle hitter Michelle Malboeuf (Cumberland, RI) tallied a team-high 16 kills to go along with 15 digs as the Rhode Island College women's volleyball team topped St. Joseph's College (ME), 3-1 (25-21, 28-26, 19-25, 25-22) on Friday night at The Murray Center.
Rhode Island College (7-8) opened a 5-1 lead in the first set on the hot serving of sophomore libero Megan Armburg (Swansea, MA). The play then went back and forth until a late kill by Malboeuf on an assist from freshman setter Abigayl White (Coventry, RI) pushed the Anchorwomen lead to five, 21-16. A late run from St. Joseph's (5-11) wouldn't be enough as the Anchorwomen finished the first set with a 25-21 victory.
The second set was a tightly contested battle to the end with the Monks knotting the game at 24-24 when junior setter Abbie McPhee (Epping, NH) fed junior middle blocker Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, NH) for the kill. The play was back and forth until Malboeuf's kill gave RIC the 28-26 win.
The Monks jumped out to a huge lead in set three, taking a 21-13 lead on an Anchorwoman attacking error. A kill by Wachowiak, off a feed from McPhee, put the lead at 24-17, which proved to be insurmountable for the hosts as the visitors walked away with a 25-19 victory in the frame.
The fourth set was another tight battle with an ace from Armburg knotting the game at 18 apiece. The set saw the two teams trading points until two late kills by freshman outside hitter Megan Stanzione (Wilton, CT) sealed the 25-22 set victory and the 3-1 victory for the match.
Stanzione finished with a team high .750 hitting percentage, while Palazinni finished with 14 kills and 22 digs for the double-double. The Monks were led by Wachowiak's nine kills and six blocks, while freshman libero Samantha Robinson (Gorham, ME) paced the team with 24 digs.
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will resume Little East Conference action at UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7 p.m.). Saint Joseph's plays at University of Saint Joseph in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
COURTESY OF RIC SPORTS INFORMATION
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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.
