EMMANUEL STOPPED SHORT IN VOLLEYBALL SEMIFINAL
Nov. 5, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The third-seeded Emmanuel College Women's Volleyball Team dropped a three-set decision to second-seeded Johnson & Wales University on Thursday night in the semifinal round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament. The win in their own Harborside Recreation Center improved the Wildcats to 23-14 overall. They will now advance to take on the top-seeded Lions of Emerson College on Saturday (11/7) for the GNAC Championship. Emmanuel is 18-13 overall, as the Saints wait to hear about a potential bid to the ECAC post-season tournament.
The Saints fought hard in Thursday night's opening set, as the Wildcats snuck away with just a two-point win, 25-23. Emmanuel was never able to mount any sort of offensive attack in the second or third sets and Johnson & Wales cruised to 25-10 and 25-17 wins, respectively.
Junior outside hitter Megan Murray (Killingworth, Conn.) led the Saints with a double-double, including 10 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Jenna Ross (Centerburg, Ohio) posted a near double-double with 9 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Samantha Andazola (Queen Creek, Ariz.) gathered 9 digs, while sophomore setter Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.) dished out 25 assists and tallied 9 digs of her own.
The Wildcats were led by junior Catherine Bravo (Toa Boa, Puerto Rico) with a match-high 18 kills and seven digs, while sophomore Audrey Warren (Haverhill, Mass.) notched 11 kills, four service aces and three digs in the victory. Junior Nikki Balchunas (Brockton, Mass.) had eight kills, eight digs and two blocks while freshman Kasey Higgins (Wallingford, Conn.) chipped in with 36 set assists, five digs and three aces for the Wildcats.
Emmanuel was stopped short in last year's GNAC semifinal round as well, falling to Rivier College in Nashua, N.H. The Saints' last GNAC Championship came in 2006, completing a three-peat of championships in 2004, 2005 and 2006.