STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (6-13, 2-3 GNAC) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 25-23) victory over Maine Maritime Academy (7-9, 1-1 NAC) in a non-conference volleyball match at the Harold Alfond Center on Wednesday evening.
The Monks were led by junior middle blocker Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.), who registered nine kills with five aces and six total blocks (five solos) in the hard fought triumph. Junior Alli Hollander (Thermal, Calif.) added seven kills and 12 digs, junior Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) recorded a double-double with 21 digs and 20 assists to go along with three kills and three aces, and freshman Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine) contributed five kills on the night. Sophomore Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) added 16 digs, freshman Samantha Robinson (Gorham, Maine) chimed in with 15 digs, and junior Sam Wright (Westport, Mass.) posted 13 digs for the Royal Blue.
For the Mariners, sophomore outside hitter Gillian O'Neal (Burbank, Calif.) boasted an impressive double-double with a match-high 18 kills and 16 digs while senior Sydney Robertson (Barnstead, N.H.) totaled eight kills, six aces and eight digs in a losing bid. Junior Molly Marcotte (Seekonk, Mass.) contributed eight kills and nine digs, senior Betsy Trenckmann (La Veta, Colo.) tallied 38 assists and 18 digs, and junior Samantha Ryan (Los Angeles, Calif.) chipped in with a team-best 20 digs on the evening.
In the opening set, the Monks trailed by a 20-17 margin late but rallied three straight points off Maine Maritime errors to produce a 20-20 score. Marcotte and Gosselin traded kills to create another stalemate, but the hosts claimed the lead for good with a Gosselin service ace and closed out the first set with a kill from Hollander.
In the second set, Saint Joseph's led by six (24-18) and was within a point of securing a 2-0 lead before the Mariners rattled off eight consecutive points to even the match at 1-1. Junior Jess Menges (Old Forge, N.Y.) notched a pair of aces during the winning string and O'Neal belted a pair of kills to close out the set with the visitors taking a 26-24 triumph.
The third set was on its way to mirroring the second, as Maine Maritime turned a five-point (23-18) deficit into a two-point proposition with the help of two O'Neal kills in the closing portion. The Monks recovered in time to claim the win, as Copp capped the set with an ace to give the hosts a 25-22 victory and a 2-1 match advantage.
The fourth set was no different from the first three, as the stanza was tightly contested with neither team owning a lead of more than three points throughout. With the set tied 21-21, the Mariners received a kill from O'Neal and an ace from Robertson to collect a two-point lead. Following an SJC timeout, the Monks managed to net four unanswered points, including a Wachowiak ace that closed out the evening with the Royal Blue claiming a 3-1 triumph.
Both teams return to play on Saturday, when Saint Joseph's hosts a conference tri-match with Emmanuel College (10am) and Rivier University (2pm) and Maine Maritime travels to University of New England for non-conference matches with Southern Maine (1pm) and the host Nor'easters (3pm).
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
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.
