NE10 Semifinal: No. 5 Volleyball Edged By No. 1 New Haven, 3-2

Hitchcock tallied fourth double-double of season


Manuszak tallied a career-and match-high 32 digs 

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (November 17, 2016) – The Stonehill College volleyball team, seeded fifth in the Northeast-10 Conference, was unable to fight past the top-seeded New Haven University in a five-set battle Friday night in the Charger Gymnasium. The Skyhawks fell with set scores of 29-27, 18-25, 25-17, 20-25, 13-15.

Stonehill (12-15, 8-6 NE10) saw three players in double-digit kills, including Allyson Hughes (Modesto, California/Big Vally Christian) with 16 kills, Katherine DeLanty (Smithtown, New York/Smithtown West) with 15 kills, and Ashley Hitchcock (Warrenville, Illinois/Benet Academy) with 11 kills. Hitchcock also notched her fourth double-double of the season tallying 22 digs, while Claire Manuszak (indianapoilis, Indiana/Bishop Chatard) recorded a career high 32 digs, bringing her career total in digs to 1602, for the program record. DeLanty registered eight blocks on the night, as Megan Pennino (Wantagh, New York/Wantagh) chipped in six blocks and Jessica Givens (Albuquerque, New Mexico/St. Pius X) added 50 assists, for her third match with 50-plus helpers, and registered three aces.

New Haven (22-7, 14-0 NE10) saw Kali Greathead with 14 kills, Caroline Martins with 15 kills, and Alex Bussey with 10 kills. Greathead and Bussey each also notched 10 and 16 digs, respectively, while Lindsey Kim tallied 13 digs, Kristine Rios registered 14 digs, and Annika Hacker added 17 digs. Hacker and Rios recorded double-digit assists, recording 28 and 17, respectively.

Both teams battled back and forth in the first set, until an 11-11 tie, and then the Chargers took on a 7-2 run, 17-13. The Skyhawks, however, were able to make a 9-5 run of its own to tie up the frame, 22-22, and then they would knot it up five more times, 27-27, as neither team would take set point. Stonehill wrapped up the set with two points to take the first frame, 29-27.

The Chargers held the lead throughout the second set, as the Skyhawks tied the frame up four times, before knotting up the match 1-1.


Pennino and DeLanty totaled 14 blocks in the night

Stonehill opened up the third set with an eight-point advantage, 16-8. New Haven edged its way through the set cutting the deficit to four, 14-18, but the Skyhawks held the lead through the rest of the game with a 7-3 run, taking a 2-1 lead with a 25-17 third set victory.

New Haven saw its highest hitting percentage of the night, .303, in the fourth set, as the Chargers were only able to hold a four-point lead during the game, until they took set point, for a five-point lead, 25-20.

Stonehill took a one-points advantage in the deciding set, 2-1, but New Haven jumped on board with four-straight points, 5-2. The Skyhawks were able to cut the deficit to one, 13-14, but the Chargers concluded the set and match with a kill by Greathead for a 15-13 match point.

Stonehill wrapped up its 2017 season with a 12-15 overall mark and an 8-6 NE10 record. The Skyhawks finished the regular season as the fifth seed and made it to the NE10 Tournament Semifinals for the ninth time in program history.

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