Stonehill Survives NYIT Comeback Bid, 3-2


Freshman outside hitter Ashley Hitchcock registered the first double-double of her career with match-highs in both kills (16) and digs (17).

Bears storm back to tie match after trailing 2-0, but Skyhawks prevail in deciding fifth frame

EASTON, Mass. (October 4, 2014) – Freshman Ashley Hitchcock (Warrenville, Illinois/Benet Academy) and junior Delia Phillips (St. James, New York/Smithtown East) each posted double-doubles as Stonehill College withstood a comeback charge from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to earn a 3-2 (25-22, 25-16, 23-25, 24-26, 15-8) victory this afternoon in non-conference volleyball action at Merkert Gymnasium.

Hitchcock tied the match-high for both kills (16) and digs (17) for the first double-double of her collegiate career, while Phillips registered 16 kills and ten digs for her fourth consecutive 10+ kill, 10+ dig performance,  and seventh of the season.

Senior setter Emily Iverson (Elmhurst, Illinois/York), who became the program's all-time leader in assists in last night's win over Bridgeport, racked up 56 more today for her fourth 50+ assist effort of the season, including three in the past four matches. The three-time All-Northeast-10 Conference performer also tallied a match-high three service aces to go with eight digs.

Junior outside hitter Kelsey Weymouth (North Attleboro, Massachusetts/North Attleboro) hit a team-best .421 with ten kills, while senior middle blockers Meaghan Lee (Hanover, Massachusetts/Notre Dame Academy) and Mary-Kate Catton (San Diego, California/Academy of Our Lady of Peace) added 14 and 11 kills, respectively.

Defensively, freshman libero Claire Manuszak (Indianapolis, Indiana/Bishop Chatard) tied Hitchcock's match-high of 17 digs, and sophomore Taylor Stevens (Foster, Rhode Island/Ponaganset) recorded six.

NYIT was led offensively by junior middle hitter Kate Brock (River Edge, New Jersey/River Dell), who hit a team-best .414 with 14 kills. Brock also got the job done on the defensive end, as she finished with six digs and a match-high nine blocks (one solo).

Bears freshman outside hitter Karolina Moderova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Ostredkova) registered a double-double with ten kills, ten digs, and six blocks, while freshman Emily Mankowski (Naperville, Illinois/Naperville North) totaled nine kills and eight digs.


Junior Delia Phillips turned in her fourth straight double-double with 16 kills and ten digs.

NYIT hit .188 as a team, including a match-best .286 clip in the second set, while the Skyhawks turned in a .208 attack percentage with .400 and .550 marks in the second and fifth frames, respectively.

Stonehill took a tight opening set that saw ties of 20-20, 21-21, and 22-22, before a kill by Hitchcock, an NYIT attack error, and a service ace by Iverson gave the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead.

The Bears fell behind in the second set, 12-8, before coming back to tie the frame at 13. Stonehill countered with a six-point run with three kills from Phillips to take a commanding 19-13 lead before eventually winning the set, 25-16.

NYIT got out to a 15-10 lead in the must-win third frame, but Stonehill fought back and eventually tied the score at 19. With the score later tied at 23, an attack error by Phillips followed by a kill by Moderova kept the Bears alive for another set.

Stonehill hit a match-low .042 in the fourth frame, recording 12 errors in the process, but NYIT's .073 attack clip kept the set close. The Skyhawks fell behind 7-1 before drawing even for the first time at 18, and eventually taking a 24-21 lead. Two kills by Brock with two Stonehill errors sandwiched in between allowed the visiting team to regain a one-point lead, and the attack error by Hitchcock that followed sent the match to a fifth and final set.

The two teams traded points in the early part of the fifth frame, until Stonehill created some separation at 10-7. The Bears would draw to within two with a point on the next play, but the Skyhawks won the set and the match with a five point run, capped by an NYIT attack error.

Following its 5-0 homestand, Stonehill (13-3, 4-0 NE-10) will look to build on its season-high six-match winning streak on Tuesday night, when the Skyhawks hit the road to take on Saint Anselm College at 7:30 p.m. Stonehill is on the road again next Saturday at Franklin Pierce University, before returning to Merkert Gym on Friday, October 17th to host Assumption College. NYIT (8-9, 4-2 ECC) will try to snap its four-match skid on Tuesday night, when the Bears host Adelphi University.

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