SAINTS GO 1-2 IN ENDICOTT INVITE; OLSEN NAMED TO ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Sept. 12, 2009
BEVERLY, Mass. - The Emmanuel Women's Volleyball Team went 1-2 at Endicott College's Invitational Tournament over the weekend. The Saints dropped their opening match to Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday night and then split with host Endicott and Salve Regina University on Saturday afternoon. Emmanuel's sophomore setter Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.) was named to the All-Tournament Team for the Saints. Emmanuel is now 1-3 on the season heading into the Saints' home opener this Tuesday (9/15) night at 8pm.
In Emmanuel's first match of the tournament, the Saints fell in straight sets to the Warriors of ECSU, (25-22, 27-25, 25-19). In Saturday's opening match, Emmanuel took Endicott into four sets, before dropping, 3-1. The Saints then bounced back to sweep the Seahawks of Salve Regina University, 3-0.
Emmanuel took the opening set over Endicott, winning a 26-24 decision. The Gulls were quick to recover, however, as they posted back-to-back 25-16 wins, before closing out the match with a 25-11 victory in the fourth set to take the match. The Saints were led by Rebecca Stanton's (Quincy, Mass.) eight kills and 2 ½ total blocks. Jenna Ross (Centerburg, Ohio) had seven kills and 12 digs, while Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.) had 23 assists and nine digs.
Endicott got 13 kills and 12 digs from junior Brittany Phillips (Sudbury, Mass.), while both Steph Wiese (Higganum, Conn.) and Amy Grigg (Vernon, Conn.) finished the morning with nine kills. Grigg also stood tall upfront, notching one solo block and three assisted blocks in the win. Junior Ally Murphy (Gilford, N.H.) and freshman Mollie Potsma (Everett, Wash.) combined for 20 and 17 assists, respectively.
In the final match of the weekend, Endicott matched-up with unbeaten Bowdoin College. In a see-saw affair, the Polar Bears were able to edge out a 3-2 decision over the Gulls. Bowdoin took the first set, 25-21, however the Blue and Green responded with a 25-16 win in the second game. The Polar Bears returned to form in the third, edging the hosts, 25-18. Refusing to go away quietly, Endicott stormed back with a convincing 25-14 victory in the fourth game, forcing a decisive fifth set. An unbeaten weekend was not in the cards for the Blue and Green, as Bowdoin put forth a dominating performance in game five, racing away from the Gulls in a 15-3 victory.
Bowdoin was paced by double-digit kill leaders Gillian Page (Mercer Island, Wash.) and Kristin Hanczor (Redding, Conn.), as the pair each tallied 11 kills in the win. The net play by the Polar Bears was in midseason form, as the visitors tallied nine total team blocks, including six assisted blocks from Stephanie Drumright (San Francisco, Calif.). Senior Skye Lawrence (Kentfield, Calif.) had 20 digs in the win.
Endicott was led by Steph Wiese and her 17 kills. Junior Amy Grigg had nine kills, while freshman outside Ashley Norley (Sudbury, Mass.) finished with eight kills and 12 digs.
Following the day's final match, the Endicott Invitational All-Tournament team was announced. Bowdoin's Kristin Hanczor, Endicott's Steph Wiese, Eastern Connecticut's Samantha Slonski (Griswold, Conn.), Emmanuel's Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.) and Salve Regina's Julianne Barry (Randolph, Mass.) were honored for their standout play over the weekend.
The Saints will return to action on Tuesday night in Emmanuel's first home match of the season. The Saints will host the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology in an 8pm start.