CHICOPEE, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (5-9, 1-1 GNAC) split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's volleyball tri-match at Elms College on Saturday afternoon. The Monks kicked off the day with a 3-1 (25-14, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20) victory over Norwich University (5-5, 0-2 GNAC) and headed home after a 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 17-25, 25-13) setback at the hands of the host-Blazers (4-6, 2-0 GNAC).
SAINT JOSEPH'S def. NORWICH, 3-1
St. Joe's started play with a convincing 25-14 first-set triumph, but Norwich managed to earn the second-set win, 26-24, after working through 18 tie scores and eight lead changes. The Monks came out swinging in the third frame with 14 kills and just two errors in 35 attacks for a solid .343 attack percentage en route to notching a 25-16 win and 2-1 match lead.
The GNAC rivals squared off for a competitive fourth set, a period during which neither squad held more than a three-point lead until the Monks recorded an 8-2 run to secure a 22-17 cushion. An Isabel Philbrick (Milford, N.H.) kill capped the 25-20 victory and 3-1 match triumph.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- First-year Victoria Briones (El Paso, Texas) registered a double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs and posted a pair of service aces with a stellar .424 attack percentage
- Freshman Nadia Sixto (Chattanooga, Tenn.) also recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs and added two block assists
- Sophomore Maggie Sylvester (Barrington, N.H.) delivered nine kills, 16 digs, and three total blocks
- Sophomore Hanna Webster (Alvin, Texas) posted an otherworldly .529 attack percentage after notching nine kills and no errors on 17 attempts with 11 digs and two total blocks
- Philbrick netted three kills, four digs, and seven total blocks – including four of the solo variety
- Senior Hanna Holden (Stoughton, Mass.) added 22 assists and 15 digs
- Senior Amanda Darby (Shrewsbury, Mass.) contributed 14 assists and sophomore Sam Holland (Gilmanton, N.H.) chipped in with 11 digs and five assists
LEADERS – NORWICH:
- Ana Lopez paced the Cadets with nine kills
- Sarah Farnum dealt 25 assists with four kills and seven digs
- Laura Farnum added 22 digs
- Julia Dorr chipped in with 14 digs
- Maggie McNeil boasted seven kills and Abby Kanaga posted six kills
ELMS def. SAINT JOSEPH'S, 3-1
The Blazers utilized five service aces and five players combined to record 12 kills in an opening 25-20 set win and took advantage of 19 SJC errors in the second set to claim a daunting 2-0 match lead. The Monks responded with a dominant third set – 11 kills and just one error in 30 attacks – and held at least a share of the lead for the entirety to keep the match alive with a 25-17 win.
Unfortunately for the Royal Blue, Elms put the match away with a decisive 25-13 fourth-set win, which featured 10 kills and two miscues in 31 attempts and four service aces.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sylvester delivered 10 kills with no errors on 21 bids for a .476 attack rate and seven digs
- Holden totaled 19 assists, three aces, 11 digs, and three total blocks
- Briones continued playing at a high level with nine kills and 10 digs
- Philbrick notched eight kills and a .462 attack percentage
- Webster tallied five kills, 12 digs, and a pair of block assists
- Sixto chipped in with seven kills and three digs
LEADERS – ELMS:
- Jaylianne Ramos Figueroa put up monster numbers with 16 kills and 15 digs
- Laura Jenson also had a great game with 14 kills, three aces, and 12 digs
- Jaylen Holman added 31 assists, three aces, and 13 digs
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will host UMaine-Fort Kent in a non-conference match on Wednesday at 5:00 PM.
