STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (9-0, 2-0 GNAC) remained undefeated with a pair of victories in the 16th Annual SJC Autumn Invitational at the Harold Alfond Center on Friday evening. The Monks recorded 3-0 victories over University of Maine-Presque Isle (0-9) (25-11, 25-15, 25-11) and Husson University (4-9) (25-10, 25-16, 25-14) to increase their winning streak to a program-record nine games.
On court two, Eastern Nazarene College (2-8) fell to Husson, 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21), in the 6:00 PM match and rebounded to sweep Maine-Presque Isle (25-11, 25-18, 25-14).
Tournament action resumes tomorrow at 10:00 AM when Saint Joseph's faces Eastern Nazarene on court one and Husson takes on Maine-Presque Isle on court two. The Championship and Consolation games will be played at 12:00 PM. Tiebreaker rules are listed at the end of this release.
Saint Joseph's def. Maine-Presque Isle, 3-0 (25-11, 25-15, 25-11)
The Monks extended their winning streak to eight with the help of a pair of standout performances, as senior middle blocker Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) belted 10 kills with a .500 attack percentage and junior outside hitter Shadai Gosselin (Somersworth, N.H.) totaled six service aces in a three-set sweep.
Sophomore middle blocker Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine) added five kills in eight attempts, senior defensive specialist Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) added four aces, and freshman libero Jennelle Thompson (Farmington, N.H.) picked up a team-high 11 digs for St. Joe's. Freshman setter Sarah Dyer (Seabrook, N.H.) boasted a match-high 14 assists in her NCAA debut.
Freshman setter Emma Tirrell (Scarborough, Maine) also made her collegiate debut in the victory.
For the Owls, junior Abby Jewett (Bass Harbor, Maine) and senior Hannah Boyce (Bar Harbor, Maine) contributed three kills and five digs apiece, freshman Hannah Williams (Park Falls, Nova Scotia) added seven assists, and senior Katie Patenaude (Presque Isle, Maine) also posted five digs in the losing bid.
St. Joe's held a 25-8 cushion in kills with a .200 attack percentage in the victory. The Owls notched a negative .067 attack rate in the opener.
Husson def. Eastern Nazarene, 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21)
Husson recorded 26 kills with 19 service aces to make short work of Eastern Nazarene in the other 6:00 PM match. The Eagles were led on the attack by junior outside hitter Lindsay Chapman (Gorham, Maine), who registered eight kills, and on the service by sophomore middle hitter Bailey Cote (Biddeford, Maine), who launched nine aces in the sweep.
Husson also received five kills from freshman outside hitter Kaitlyn Woods (Charlton, Mass.), 17 assists from sophomore setter Marissa Johnson (Russell, N.Y.), and eight digs from sophomore libero Sarah Wilson (Dover, N.H.).
For Eastern Nazarene, sophomore outside hitter Kayla Dean (Lansdale, Pa.) totaled five kills and four digs, senior outside hitter Hannah Welsh (Derry, N.H.) added six aces and six digs, and freshman outside hitter Viviana Coix (Warrenville, Ill.) contributed five digs in the setback.
Husson owned a 26-15 lead in kills with a .175 to .018 advantage in attack percentage against Eastern Nazarene.
Saint Joseph's def. Husson, 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-14)
Junior outside hitter Victoria Huntley (Ellsworth, Maine) recorded one of her best efforts of the young season in the Monks' nightcap, posting 11 kills and a .625 attack rate in the three-set sweep. Gosselin added seven kills, Wachowiak notched five kills and a pair of solo blocks, and junior setter Mariah Hebert (Biddeford, Maine) tallied 24 assists in the hosts' closing contest.
Thompson added 16 digs and senior outside hitter Allie Hollander (Thermal, Calif.) chipped in with four kills to help the Monks win their ninth straight contest, breaking the program's former record of eight consecutive triumphs, a win string attained during the 1995 campaign.
For the Eagles, Cote and Chapman netted three kills apiece, Johnson boasted eight assists, and Wilson dug up eight digs in the loss. Sophomore Nia Arranaga (San Jose, Calif.) delivered five aces and Cote added four service strikes in the team's nightcap.
The Monks controlled play on the front line with a 28-11 lead in kills and a .400 attack percentage as opposed to the negative .076 effort put forth by the Eagles.
Eastern Nazarene def. Maine-Presque Isle, 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-14)
Welsh almost singlehandedly lifted the Lions to their second victory of the season with five kills, 10 aces and eight digs along with four assists against the Owls. Coix, Joseph and sophomore Madisen Robinson (West Grove, Pa.) chimed in with three kills apiece while Dean added four aces and six assists and freshman outside hitter Lauren Weidler (Lansdale, Pa.) belted three aces in the closing contest.
Boyce led the Owls with four kills while Patenaude and Morgan Swan (Caribou, Maine) chipped in three kills apiece and Williams dealt nine assists in the losing effort.
Eastern Nazarene owned a 19-13 advantage in kills and boasted a .190 attack rate compared to the Owls' negative .087 performance at the net.
Tiebreaker Rules – if after Saturday's 10a games two teams have the same record, we will break the tie using the following criteria, in this order, to determine seeds and home teams for the championship and consolation games:
1. Head to Head
2. Number of Games Lost
3. Point Differential (add P.D. for wins and P.D. losses (ONLY versus team tied with) then subtract)
4. Coin Flip
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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 474-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.
