Volleyball Finishes Strong in 3-1 Win Over Queens


Senior Kelsey Weymouth recorded her third double-double (15 kills, 13 digs) of the season in Stonehill's 3-1 win over Queens.

Skyhawks rally from 24-19 deficit in fourth set en route to third straight win

EASTON, Mass. (September 18, 2015) – Stonehill College staged a dramatic fourth-set comeback, winning the final seven points of the frame to secure a 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24) victory over Queens College this evening in non-conference volleyball action at Merkert Gymnasium.  

Stonehill, which dropped the opening set tonight, claimed the next two frames before rallying from a 24-19 deficit in the fourth set to extend its winning streak to a season-high three matches.

Sophomore outside hitter Marykay Nasby (Belle Plaine, Minnesota/Belle Plaine) led the way for the Skyhawks with a career-high 17 kills, six of which came in the fourth set, and seven digs. Senior outside hitter Kelsey Weymouth (North Attleboro, Massachusetts/North Attleboro) registered her third double-double of the season with 15 kills and 13 digs, while sophomore middle blocker Katherine DeLanty (Smithtown, New York/Smithtown West) hit .207 with nine kills, seven blocks (one solo), five digs and three assists.

Junior setter Taylor Stevens (Foster, Rhode Island/Ponaganset) dished out a season-high 40 assists, marking the fifth time in her career she has reached that mark, to go with eight digs and four block assists. Stevens has now recorded 30+ assists in two consecutive matches and four of her last six.


Nasby

Sophomore libero Claire Manuszak (Indianapolis, Indiana/Bishop Chatard) led all players with 22 digs, while classmate Ashley Hitchcock (Warrenville, Illinois/Benet Academy) had a strong all-around night with 16 digs, eight kills and a career-high five service aces.

Senior right side hitter Arielle DiCocco (Blue Point, New York/Bayport-Blueport) was the lone Knight to record double-figure kills with 12, while sophomore setter Kristen Moore (Medford, New York/Patchogue-Medford) finished with a double-double (32 assists, 15 digs) and senior libero Xhesi Domi (Selden, New York/Newfield) led the defensive effort with 19 digs.

Queens trailed for the majority of the opening set before rallying late for a tight victory, but the Skyhawks bounced back with a three-point win in the second frame to even the match.

The Knights jumped out of the gates with a 5-0 lead in the third set, but Stonehill answered with a 10-3 run to take a three-point lead (10-8). The Skyhawks eventually extended their advantage to six (16-10) and Queens never got closer than three the rest of the way as Stonehill took a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set was tight throughout, until the Knights began to pull ahead late en route to a 24-19 lead. After an attack error and a kill by Weymouth forced Queens to call a timeout, a pair of kills by Nasby brought the Skyhawks back to within a point of tying the set (24-23). Another Queens attack error evened the score, and two more followed as Stonehill avoided a fifth set.  

Stonehill (6-3, 1-0 NE-10) will be right back in action tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Saint Anselm College in a Northeast-10 Conference contest at Merkert Gymnasium. Queens (3-5, 0-0 ECC) opens East Coast Conference play on Tuesday night at NYIT.  

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook.