Saints Sweep Saturday Tri-Match vs. Mass. Maritime, Johnson State

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Match 1: Emmanuel 3 – Mass. Maritime 0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-17)
Match 2: Emmanuel 3 – Johnson State 1 (25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 25-15)

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (2-3, 0-1 GNAC)
Mass. Maritime Academy Bucs (0-8, 0-1 MASCAC)

Northern Vermont at Johnson State Badgers (1-2, 0-0 NAC)

Location: Clean Harbors Arena – Buzzards Bay, Mass.

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021

THE LEAD – The Emmanuel Saints swept Saturday's tri-match with Mass. Maritime Academy and Johnson State, picking up their first two victories of the season and the first win in the collegiate coaching career for Head Coach Morgan Thatcher.

MATCH ONE: Emmanuel 3 – Mass. Maritime 0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-17)

• In a closely contested first set, a five-point run for the Saints in the middle of the set gave them the momentum to finish strong while another five-point run at the end of the set led them to a 25-18 first set win.
• In another close set for the Saints and Bucs, it was Emmanuel that claimed five of the last seven points of the second set, leading them to a 25-22 win and a 2-0 set lead.
• Emmanuel came charging out in the third set, starting with a 12-2 scoring run to take control early. Mass Maritime got as close as five points, later in the set, but the final points of the match fell to the Saints, as they earned their first win of the 2021 season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (Match One)

• Saints sophomore Sasha Hyacinthe (Stoughton, Mass.) finished with a match-high 10 kills while hitting .250 in the match.
• Junior Kerry Shea (Tewksbury, Mass.) added seven kills and 10 digs for the Saints.
• Sophomore Brigid Moriarty (Westfield, Mass.) added a match-best 24 assists while junior Tatiana Correia (Peabody, Mass.) finished with a team-high 17 digs.

MATCH TWO: Emmanuel 3 – Johnson State 1 (25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 25-15)

• In the opening set of the second match, the Saints claimed a comeback win after a deficit left them down by three, midway through the set. After tying the set at 19-19, Emmanuel won six of the final eight points to win the first set 25-21.
• The second set required another Saints comeback, this time after trailing 17-13. On serves by Hyacinthe, the Saints rattled off nine straight points, taking control of the set with a 22-17 lead. The Badgers nearly staged a comeback of their own but a kill by Saints sophomore Seana Phillips (Middleboro, Mass.) ended the set in favor of Emmanuel, 25-23.
• In the third, Johnson State used a comeback of their own, scoring seven straight points in the middle of the set to take a 13-10 lead. The Badgers added a four-point run late in the set to hold off the Saints, as Johnson State took the set 25-20.
• In the fourth set, after an early 4-4 tie, the Saints ran away from the Badgers, going on a 17-5 scoring run, as the Saints picked up the 25-15 set win and 3-1 match win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (Match Two)

• Hyacinthe, Phillips, and senior Anna Caristi (North Attleboro, Mass.) all finished with 10 kills in the second match.
• Correia matched a season-high with 24 digs while Moriarty finished with a career-high 39 assists.

UP NEXT

• The Saints finish a five-game road trip with a Tuesday night match at Rhode Island College, set for 6:00 p.m.