SIMMONS def SAINT JOSEPH'S, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-15)

BOSTON, Mass. -- Junior outside hitter Morgan Weeg (Goodyear, Ariz.) spiked for 14 kills and junior setter Faith Gray-Williams (Las Vegas, Nev.) set for 29 assists to lead the Simmons University women's volleyball team over Saint Joseph's College (Maine), 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-15), this afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court in Boston, Mass. The Sharks have won seven of their last nine and improve to 18-8 overall, including 11-1 in league play, while the Monks fall to 8-20 and 5-6. 

Simmons earns the number two seed in the upcoming GNAC Championship Tournament to match its highest seeding in school history from 2017. The Sharks conference record also ties their best from the same season. Simmons will see Saint Joseph's again in just three days, after the Monks secured the number seven seed for the tournament. The Sharks will host SJCME on Tuesday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. at Moore Gymnasium.

Weeg hit .290 for the match and added three digs, while Gray-Williams fired three aces, picked up seven digs and got up for a block assist for the Sharks. Junior middle blocker Megan Purser (Miami, Fla.) put away nine kills on a .368 hitting mark in addition to four digs and three total blocks and first year Sydney Iannantuono (East Lyme, Conn.) got down for a match-high 13 digs to go with six kills and a block assist. First year defensive specialist Gabriela Hernandez (San Francisco, Calif.) scooped up 11 digs to contribute to the Simmons defensive effort. 

Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Quinn (Dover, N.H.), junior middle blocker Erin Olson (Stoughton, Mass.), sophomore outside hitter Olivia Kent (Ellington, Conn.) all contributed with seven kills apiece for Saint Joseph's. Quinn also added eight digs and four block assists, while Kent chipped in with five digs and a block assist. First year setter Hannah Holden (Stoughton, Mass.) set for 19 assists and picked up five digs, while junior libero Madison Provencher (Rochester, N.H.) scooped up 13 digs for the Monks.

COURTESY OF SIMMONS UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SUFFOLK def. SAINT JOSEPH'S, 3-2 (29-27, 25-15, 21-25, 21-25, 15-11)

BOSTON – The 2019 Suffolk volleyball team put together a thrilling five-set decision over Saint Joseph's (Maine) Saturday afternoon at the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The regular-season triumph came via set scores 29-27, 25-15, 21-25, 21-25 and 15-11.  

THE BASICS

SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Saint Joseph's (Maine) 2

RECORDS: Suffolk (19-11, 9-3 GNAC) | Saint Joseph's (Maine) (8-21, 5-7 GNAC) 

SET ONE RECAP (29-27, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk's early 6-1 edge was cut down to 9-7.
• The blue-and-gold clung to the lead until the Monks rattled off a 5-1 run to gain 14-12 advantage.
• The Rams responded with a 5-1 stretch of its own to go back ahead 17-15.
• See-saw action ensued with two more swaps of the lead, first SJC went ahead 20-19, before things turned in Suffolk's favor, 23-21.
• The tightly contested contest remained down the stretch when things evened at 24-all. From there it came down to who scored back-to-back and the frame fell in the Rams' favor. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-15, SUFFOLK)

• From an 11-11 tie, the Rams rallied around Dakhensey Marcellus at the service line to go up, 22-13.
• Suffolk put on cruise control from there clinch the stanza, 25-15. 

SET THREE RECAP (21-25, ST. JOSEPH'S (MAINE))

• Suffolk trailed 12-4.
• The Rams attempted a comeback with a 6-2 spurt that put the blue-and-gold within six, 16-10.
• It was point-for-point the rest of the way, ending in the Monks' favor, 25-15. 

SET FOUR RECAP (21-25, ST. JOSEPH'S (MAINE))

• St. Joe's grabbed a 13-10 lead that blossomed into a 19-13 cushion.
• Suffolk played catch-up and trimmed the distance to three, 23-20.
• The early edge played out in SJC's favor as the team's exchanged points before Sarah Quinn secured the set for the visitors.  

SET FIVE RECAP (15-11, SUFFOLK)

Suffolk took care of business as it jumped ahead 8-3 before the rivals switched sides.

The opening advantage was all the blue-and-gold needed as it maintained the margin despite a handful of comeback attempts from the visitors, who pulled within three, twice, the last coming with match point set up, 14-11.

An attack error by Hanna Holden locked up the thrilling decision for the Rams. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Sophomore Sarah Quinn (Dover, N.H.) boasted 14 kills on 42 attempts with 10 digs
• Sophomore Olivia Kent (Ellington, Conn.) added 12 kills, six digs, and four block assists
• Senior Kelsey Bickford (Somersworth, N.H.) posted eight kills, four aces, and 15 digs
• Junior Erin Olson (Stoughton, Mass.) chipped in with five kills and seven block assists
• Freshman Hanna Holden (Stoughton, Mass.) dealt 35 assists with 16 digs, four kills, and three service aces
• Junior Madison Provencher (Rochester, N.H.) and senior Bailey Gryskwicz (Standish, Maine) added 14 and 13 digs, respectively

SUFFOLK:

• Kayla Barbera produced a double-double effort with 15 kills and 11 digs to lead the way.
• Harmony Johnson had a double-double as well with 35 helpers and 17 digs to go along with a pair of aces and one kill.
• Kenzley Bell registered a double-double as well with a 12-assist and 12-dig effort. 
• Kaleigh Khanna and Sarah Mullahy provided 12 kills and 11 kills, respectively.
• Dakhensey Marcellus anchored the defense with 22 digs and provided eight assists, four aces and one kill to the offense.
• Hannah Fabiano chipped in 10 digs, nine kills, one set-up and one block. 

COURTESY OF SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION