Saints Split Home GNAC Trimatch

THE BASICS 

Scores: Emmanuel College, 3; University of Saint Joseph's (CT), 1 (20-25, 25-13, 25-23, 25-12)
            University of Saint Joseph's (CT), 1; Saint Joseph's College (ME), 3 (24-26, 25-13, 11-25, 9-25)
            Emmanuel College, ; Saint Joseph's College (ME), (25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 12-15)

Records: Emmanuel College Saints (6-14, 2-5 GNAC)
              Saint Joseph's College of Maine Monks (6-14, 4-2 GNAC)
              University of Saint Joseph's Blue Jays (CT) (7-9, 1-7 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. – Andy Yosinoff Court

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2019

THE LEAD: The Emmanuel College women's volleyball team welcomed the University of Saint Joseph's Blue Jays and Saint Joseph's College of Maine Monks on Saturday, October 12^th for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match. The Monks improved to 4 – 2 in conference with a win over both USJ and EC, while the Saints collected a win over the Blue Jays in the first match of the day, improving to 2 – 5 in GNAC play.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Emmanuel, 3; Univerisity of Saint Joseph's (CT), 1

• The Blue Jays began the day strong, going up on the Saints quickly, 9-6, with a pair of kills by Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y), but the Saints fought back through the middle of the set to tie the set, 17-17. EC was able to fight for three more points through the set, but USJ was able to close the first with two kills by Hannah Benson (Terryville, Conn.) and a service ace by Nyah Young (Swansea, Mass.), 25-20.
• Even though the Blue Jays scored the first point in the next set, Emmanuel went on to control much of the set with multiple mid-set kills by senior Marissa Cataldo (Melrose, Mass.) and late set kills by Elizabeth Syverson (Huntington, Vt.), 25-13.
• EC continued the momentum into the third set taking a quick 6-1 lead before the Blue Jays fought back to tie the set at six apiece. USJ continued to take a set high three point lead, 22-19, with a kill by Carey, but the Saints relentlessly fought back to close the set on a 6-1 rally led by a kill by Molly Michaed (Cheshire, Conn.) and an assisted block by Michaud and Emma Fenton (Monument Beach, Mass.), 25-23.
• The final set was a dominant attack by the Saints, with a mid-set 7 point rally by EC led by Fenton and Isabella Miller (Blackstone, Mass.), closing out the first match of the day with a win for EC, 25-12

University of Saint Joseph's (CT), 1; Saint Joseph's College (ME), 3

• The middle match began evenly with both sides collecting multiple kills, before USJ took a three point lead with a service ace by Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.), 17-14, but the Monks battles back to take the first, 26-24.
• Unlike the first, the second set was an overall mismatch with USJ taking a demanding ten point lead off of kills by Lauren Pelletier (South Windsor, Conn.) and Benson, 19-10, and continued to complete the set, 25-13.
• The third set was a continuation of the USJ offensive attack, but the Monks turned it around to go on a 12-4 rally as Kent and Quinn controlled the net to take the third, 25-11.
• Saint Joseph's of Maine kept their foot on the throttle to close out the match, 3-1, only allowing nine points by the Blue Jays, taking the match 25-9.
  
  

Emmanuel College, 2; Saint Joseph's College (ME), 3

• SJC took a demanding lead in the first set with a quick 8-2 lead as Hanna Holden (Stoughton, Mass.) began with three service aces, but the Saints came together to tie the set at 13-13 with a pair of kills by Miller and Syverson. Both squads continued to battle but EC closed out the first with a four point rally, 25-21.
• Emmanuel continued their offense going into the second set, but the Monks kept within five through the middle of the set, 15-10, as Olivia Kent (Ellington, Conn.) led the attack for the Monks. EC continued to hold the lead with kills by Samantha Carrigan (Plaistow, N.H.), but Sarah Quinn (Dover, N.H.) and Kent went on to combine for four points late in the set to close the second for the Monks, 25-23.
• The third set was very similar to the second, with EC holding the lead through 16, before the Monks piled on a quick nine points with kills by Kent and Isabel Philbrick (Milford, N.H), to finish the third up 25-21.
• EC needed to take the fourth and was able to do so as Cataldo, Miller and Mezzo combined for nine kills through the set, tying the match up at two apiece, 25-19.
• The final set of the afternoon was a nail biter with three early lead changes before the Saints took a 12-9 lead with back to back kills from Fenton. The Monks continued to fight and tied the set again at 12-12 with back to back kills by Kent. SJC finished the day with another pair of kills by Kent to take two victories on the day, 15-12.