WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TRIUMPHS IN FIVE-SET THRILLER OVER CADETS

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Emmanuel College women's volleyball team triumphed in a five-set thriller over Norwich University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) by scores of 25-27, 25-17, 26-24, 28-26, 12-15, snapping the Cadets' nine game winning streak.

Junior Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) led Emmanuel (4-7, 3-0 GNAC) with a double-double of 12 kills and 18 digs, while junior Mary Shelow (Miami, Fla.) posted 14 kills. Junior setter Carly Church (Higganum, Conn.) also recorded a double-double of 35 assists and 14 digs for the Saints.

Three Cadets (9-4, 1-1 GNAC) recorded double-doubles with freshman Monika Schneider (Brookline, N.H.) leading the way with 15 kills and 11 assists. Sophomore Michele Zummo (Highland Mills, N.Y.)  tallied 13 kills and 20 digs, while freshman Kathryn Farnum (North Andover, Mass.) came up with 10 kills and 20 digs with junior Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) recording 44 assists on the day.

The first set started with a back-and-forth affair with both teams trading leads down to the wire. With the Cadets leading 24-20, Emmanuel took advantage of Norwich's miscues before Sheenan recorded the kill to tie it up at 24 apiece before the Saints took the 25-24 lead on a Katharine Journeay's (Hampton, N.H.) ace. Norwich responded with Oliver setting up the ball perfectly as Zummo came down with the tying kill to force the extra points. Emmanuel would close out the first set with back-to-back points for the 27-25 decision to take the first set.

Norwich took the 12-8 lead early into the second set but struggled to extend the gap as the Sheehan served up four straight aces for the Saints to take the 13-12 lead, forcing Norwich to take a timeout to snap the slump. The Cadets would record five additional points but would trail Emmanuel by four before the Saints closed out the second set with a kill, an ace, and two Cadet errors for the 25-17 decision and the 2-0 lead.

The third set saw back and forth rallies, with both teams' leading by no more than four points, the Saints would hold Norwich to a 24-16 decision, looking for the sweep but the Cadets rallied with 10 straight points, four off of attack errors, before Schneider served up an ace to close out the third, 26-24, giving Norwich a match point on the board.

Emmanuel and Norwich would battle another barrage of points with the Cadets leading by six at one point before the Saints rallied to force another extra point set in the fourth. Three straight points by Emmanuel tied up the contest at 24-24 before both teams traded two points before a Zummo kill followed by a Julia Schroeder (Victorville, Calif.) ace sealed the deal with the Cadets picking up their second match point after a 28-26 decision, forcing the fifth and final set of the match.

Norwich kept the momentum on their side, opening the fifth set with a 6-3 run before Emmanuel responded with three straight points to tie it up at six apiece. The contest remained tight down the wire until Emmanuel collected four points on an error, an ace, and back-to-back kills for the 13-9 lead. Norwich responded with three points of their own to make it a one-point contest. The Saints sealed the contest, 15-12, on  a Norwich service error followed by freshman Molly Michaud's kill to take the victory and remain undefeated in conference play.  

Both squads are back in action on September 27 as Norwich will face Regis College (Mass.) on the road on in GNAC action while the Saints travel across Boston, visiting Suffolk University on more conference play.

*Release courtesy of Norwich University Athletic Communications