Stonehill Opens Home Schedule with Four Game Homestand
Skyhawks host Saint Anselm, Bentley, AIC and UMass Lowell over next two weeks
EASTON, Mass. (September 25, 2009) - After spending nearly the entire first month of its season on the road, the Stonehill College volleyball team will open its 2009 home schedule on Saturday when it hosts Saint Anselm College for a Northeast-10 Conference match in Merkert Gymnasium at 1 p.m.
Erin Johnson |
Tomorrow's match with Saint Anselm opens a much awaited four-game home stand for Stonehill which has posted a 6-4 record to start the season after Wednesday's thrilling five-set victory over Merrimack College in the NE-10 opener for both in North Andover. Junior Erin Johnson (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) and sophomore Michelle Thornhill (Canyon Lake, Calif./Temescal Canyon) combined for 33 kills and seven blocks as the Skyhawks won the last two sets to defeat the Warriors - picked second in the NE-10 preseason poll after winning all but one of their 14 conference contests in 2008.
After tomorrow's match, Stonehill will host NE-10 preseason favorites Bentley University (7-5, 2-1 NE-10) on Tuesday night, September 29, at 7 p.m., the Skyhawks host American International College (6-4, 0-3 NE-10) on Thursday night at 7 p.m., before wrapping up the home stand on Wednesday, October 7 against the University of Massachusetts Lowell (7-5, 2-1 NE-10) at 7 p.m.
Johnson, junior Laura Noonan (Hampstead, N.Y./Bishop Guertin) and sophomore Laura Huselton (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) are all averaging over two kills per set for Stonehill through the first month of the season. Huselton averages 2.86 kills (10th NE-10), 3.19 digs and 0.39 blocks per set, while Johnson contributes 2.36 kills on a .271 hitting percentage with 0.50 blocks per set. Noonan is averaging 2.06 kills and a team-best 0.92 blocks per set.
Andrea Wirth |
Engineering the Skyhawks offense is junior Andrea Wirth (Mesa, Ariz./St. Mary's), who has earned NE-10 Setter of the Week honors once this fall, with 8.83 assists (4th NE-10) and 2.44 digs per set. Junior defensive specialist Justine Thompson (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) is chipping in with a team-best 4.31 digs (4th) and 0.53 service aces (10th) per match.
Stonehill has won three-straight matches and four of its last five entering tomorrow's match. The Skyhawks lead the NE-10 with 16.64 digs per game.
Saint Anselm (4-5, 0-1 NE-10) enters tomorrow's match having dropped four of its last five after Wednesday's 3-2 setback at Southern New Hampshire University. Sophomore Charlotte Tencza (Greenfield, Mass./Deerfield Academy) leads the Hawks with 3.68 kills (1st NE-10), 2.91 digs and 0.24 service aces per set so far this season. Sophomore Rachel Flaherty (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) contributes 7.09 assists and 0.24 aces per set, while junior Kelly Rudolph (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park) chips in with 4.06 digs and 0.21 aces per set.
Bentley enters tomorrow's home match with Saint Michael's winners of two-straight and six of seven after Wednesday's three set sweep of UMass Lowell. The Falcons return nine letterwinners from their 2008 squad which finished third in the NE-10 with a 12-2 mark.
American International has dropped its last two after Wednesday's four-set decision to Le Moyne College, while UMass Lowell has won six of eight after Wednesday's loss at Bentley.
