SAINTS TEST REGIONALLY RANKED BABSON, FALL IN FOUR SETS
BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Women’s Volleyball team became just the fourth team to win a set against Babson all season, but eventually fell to the Beavers in four sets, 3-1 in a matchup of preseason top picks in their respective conferences. The loss drops the Saints to 2-6 overall in their non-conference schedule, while Babson improves to 8-1.
SAINTS TEST REGIONALLY RANKED BABSON, FALL IN FOUR SETS
BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Women's Volleyball team became just the fourth team to win a set against Babson all season, but eventually fell to the Beavers in four sets, 3-1 in a matchup of preseason top picks in their respective conferences. The loss drops the Saints to 2-6 overall in their non-conference schedule, while Babson improves to 8-1.
Babson opened the match with high energy, taking an 8-3 lead out of the gates. The Saints continued to push, taking advantage of multiple attack errors to draw with two points at 12-10. From there, the NEWMAC preseason poll leaders took charge, going on a 9-2 run, and eventually closing the set out at 25-15 on a service ace by junior Kristen Haislip (Waterford, Va.).
Emmanuel bounced back in a thrilling second set that went back and forth from the first point to the last. After the set was knotted at 7-7, the Saints strung together three straight points and would not trail for the remainder of the set. Babson nearly fought off Emmanuel's closing run, cutting a 23-18 deficit to 23-22, but junior Cassie Chruschielski (Duluth, Minn.) and freshman Angelica Czercowy (Hebron, Conn.) earned back-to-back kills to close out the set for the home squad.
With the match split at one set each, the regionally-ranked Beavers showed their prowess and were able to control the rest of the match. The visiting team opened up a commanding 20-9 lead in the third set, only to see Emmanuel respond with a 10-3 run, thanks to two solo blocks and a kill by junior Kaitlyn Atkinson (Brookline, N.H.). The teams traded the next two points and then junior Alana Atchison (Pembroke, Mass.) put the set away at 25-20 with one of her two kills.
The first half of set four belonged to the Saints who had visions of a five-set match when a kill by senior captain Danielle Rose (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) gave them a 13-12 lead. However, Babson showed a killer instinct, scoring 13 of the next 16 points, winning the set 25-16, and the match 3-1. Freshman Gizem Yilmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) led the charge for the Beavers in the final set, as Yilmaz picked up two of her six kills along with two aces.
Overall for Babson, senior Mary Donahue (Braintree, Mass.) led both teams with 11 kills, senior Angela Price (Medway, Mass.) had a game-high 22 assists, and senior Elizabeth Sullivan (Quincy, Mass.) picked up 27 digs, also a game-high.
For the home side, freshman Catherine Hunter (Duxbury, Mass.) put forth a solid effort, finishing with five kills, while Chruscielski, freshman Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.), and freshman Katharine Journeay (Hampton, N.H.) all had double-digit digs (13, 15, 11). Junior Sarah Schemerhorn (Los Angeles, Calif.) earned 12 assists in the effort as well.
The Saints return to the court on Tuesday, September 22 at Lesley University at 8:00 p.m. Babson will compete in a tri-match at Smith on Saturday, in search of wins nine and 10 on the season.