Timely Serving Leads Women’s Volleyball to 3-1 Win Over USJ

BOSTON - After splitting the first two sets of Thursday night's Great Northeast Athletic Conference volleyball match, the Emmanuel Saints used timely serving in the last two sets, helping bring EC a 3-1 victory over the USJ Blue Jays.

Timely Serving Leads Women’s Volleyball to 3-1 Win Over USJ
Program Video Box Score

Team Stats

October 13, 2022

THE BASICS 

Score: 
Emmanuel 3 – Univ. of St. Joseph (Conn.) 1 (25-21, 13-25, 25-22, 25-19)

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (7-11, 3-4 GNAC)
University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays (4-16, 1-6 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Jean Yawkey Center/Yosinoff Court

Date: Thursday, October 13, 2022

THE LEAD – After splitting the first two sets of Thursday night's Great Northeast Athletic Conference volleyball match, the Emmanuel Saints used timely serving in the last two sets, helping bring EC a 3-1 victory over the USJ Blue Jays.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The opening set was a back-and-forth battle, as neither side led by more than three points until the end of the set. The Saints trailed 21-20 but thanks to the final five points of the set, including a pair of aces by junior Sasha Hyacinthe (Stoughton, Mass.), Emmanuel would claim the opening set, 25-21.
  • The second set was all USJ as they grabbed momentum in the early going while expanding their lead through the middle of the set with six straight points to lead 15-7. The Blue Jays kept a safe advantage and used 13 team kills and a .310 attack percentage to take the second, 25-13.
  • The third set played out very similar to the first, again with no team taking more than a three-point lead in the entire set. EC again trailed 21-20, but four straight points, including two aces from junior Brigid Moriarty (Westfield, Mass.), had them on the brink at 24-21. Two points later, Emmanuel junior Seana Phillips (Middleboro, Mass.) capped off the set with a kill for a 25-22 set win.
  • In the fourth and final set, despite EC running out to a 10-3 lead, USJ managed to get back into the set with an 8-1 run to tie the fourth at 11-11. An Emmanuel 7-2 response made the difference, creating enough breathing room for the Saints to open up an 18-13 lead. EC would coast from that point on, claiming the final three points, including a game-clinching ace by senior Rachel Coleman (Peabody, Mass.) as Emmanuel claimed the fourth set, 25-19.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • Saints senior Kerry Shea (Tewksbury, Mass.) came through with a team-high 11 kills to go along with six digs.
  • Phillips added nine kills on the night while first-year Wiktoria Galazyn (Plainville, Conn.) contributed eight kills.
  • Coleman finished the night with 39 assists while classmate, senior Julia Daggett (Hinesburg, Vt.) had her second straight match with 14 digs.
  • For the Blue Jays, senior Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.) led all players with 12 kills while hitting .333 from the floor.
  • Senior Hannah Benson (Terryville, Conn.) added five kills, 12 digs, and a match-high four service aces for USJ.
  • Senior Natalia Rabassa (Juana Diaz, P.R.) finished with a match-best 20 digs. Rabassa was one of three Blue Jays with double-digit digs, along with Benson and first-year Alexandra Long (East Hartford, Conn.), who finished with 10.

UP NEXT

  • The Saints will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday during a tri-match with Lasell and Norwich. EC is set for matches at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. with the Senior Day ceremony planned before the start of the 2:00 p.m. match.
  • The Blue Jays have nearly a week off before returning to play in their 2022 Dig Pink match, this year taking place against Johnson & Wales on Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m.