SAINTS SHUT DOWN KEENE STATE, 3-0

BOSTON, Mass. –Emmanuel College rolled to a 3-0 sweep of Keene State College on Thursday night in non-conference women's volleyball action played in the Jean Yawkey Center.  The win marked the Saints' first victory over the Owls since the 2003 season and a first time occurrence in the Yawkey Center.  The Saints' defense combined for 15 blocks and forced the visiting Owls into .038 hitting on the night.  With the three-set victory (25-9, 25-15, 25-21), Emmanuel now stands at 7-8 on the season, while Keene State drops to 4-9 with the setback.

Emmanuel charged out of the gates early, backed by strong serving from sophomore Cassie Chruscielski (Duluth, Minn.), as the Saints mounted a 5-0 edge in set one.  Chruscielski and classmate Kaitlyn Atkinson (Bedford, N.H.) combined for a block to bring the score to 13-6 Saints and force an Owls' timeout.  Out of the break, Emmanuel allowed the visitors just three more points in the set, as the Saints rattled off four aces late in the game and cruised to a dominating 25-9 set one win.

The Owls led early in the second, utilizing a kill by Angela Silveri (Poughquag, N.Y.) to take an 8-4 lead.  Saints senior captain Christine Durkee (Salem, Conn.) served off a pair of aces, which were part of a 6-0 Emmanuel run, as the hosts pulled out in front, 10-8.  Emmanuel would not trail again in the match.  With a 20-15 lead late in the second, sophomore Sarah Schemerhorn (Los Angeles, Calif.) served off the final five points, capping the set with a left side kill from Danielle Rose (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) and Emmanuel took game two, 25-15.

Set three was contested throughout, with an early Keene State kill by Madeleine Nossif (Portsmouth, N.H.) helping the Owls knot the score at 9-all.  The Saints then pulled out to a 13-9 lead, following four consecutive hitting errors by the visitors.  Holding match-point at 24-17, Emmanuel allowed Keene to mount a late rally, but it was too little, too late, as the Saints pulled off the 25-21 set three win and the 3-0 match.

Chruscielski and Atkinson shared game-high honors in the kills' column with six apiece.  Sarah Colby (West Barnstable, Mass.) hit .400 on the night with four kills in 10 swings with zero errors, while Rose also finished with four kills for the Saints.  Chruscielski led the Saints' back row with a match-high 13 digs.  Junior setter Shannon Dudley (Morro Bay, Calif.) added 8 digs, served off three aces and dished out a match-high 19 assists.  Junior middle Brittany Tutalo (Johnston, R.I.) led the Saints at the net with her match-high five blocks.

Keene State got 11 kills from Nossiff and 11 digs and six kills from Silveri.  Rookie Katie Cunningham (Nelsonville, Pa.) tallied 10 digs, while junior setter Alexis Michal (Windham, N.H.) handed out 14 helpers in the setback for the Owls.

The Saints are back in action this Saturday, September 20th, when they open up Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a tri-match at Mount Ida College.  Emmanuel will face the host Mustangs at 2:00 PM and take on Anna Maria College at 4:00 PM.  The Owls will play in a tri-match this Friday night, September 19th, at Colby-Sawyer College with Daniel Webster College.  Keene State's match times are set for 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM.