VOLLEYBALL TEAM HONORS SENIORS WITH SWEEP OF SAINT JOSEPH
Oct. 31, 2009
BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College Volleyball Team honored the careers of the three seniors on the Saints squad, before downing the Blue Jays of Saint Joseph College in four sets in Saturday's conference tri-match. The Saints celebrated the four-year careers of Diana Grimaldi (Sandy Hook, Conn.), Nicole McAllister (Hampden, Me.), and Stephanie O'Neill (Tyngsboro, Mass.) prior to the start of the match. Emmanuel then cruised to a 3-1 win over Saint Joseph, 25-10, 25-13, 18-25, 25-10. The win for the Saints improved their ledger to 17-11 overall and 10-1 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matches.
The Saints were led by sophomore middle Rebecca Stanton (Quincy, Mass.), who totaled 8 kills and 3 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Jenna Ross (Centerburg, Ohio) played a solid all-around match with 7 kills, 6 digs and an ace. McAllister added 6 kills, 4 blocks and an ace. Freshman libero Samantha Andazola (Queen Creek, Ariz.) led the Saints' defense with 15 digs, while sophomore setter Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.) handed out a team-high 18 assists in the win.
Both the Saints and the Blue Jays then set to face the 25-6 Lions of Emerson College in the later matches of Saturday's GNAC tri-match. A win for the Saints would mean a three-way tie with Emerson and Johnson & Wales for first place in the conference standings.