Stonehill Defeats Saint Anselm, 3-1
Noonan posts 14 kills with .385 hitting percentage as Skyhawks win home opener
Junior Laura Noonan (right) and sophomore Laura Huselton combined for 23 kills to lead the Stonehill attack today. Noonan had a match-high 14 while hitting .385, while Huselton added nine kills and ten digs. |
EASTON, Mass. (September 26, 2009) - Stonehill College opened its home schedule with a 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-16, 25-12) victory over Saint Anselm College in Northeast-10 Conference volleyball action at Merkert Gymnasium this afternoon.
Laura Noonan |
Junior middle blocker Laura Noonan (Hampstead, N.H./Bishop Guertin) led Stonehill with 14 kills, posting a .385 hitting percentage, to go with four digs, three blocks and two service aces. Classmate Andrea Wirth (Mesa, Ariz./St. Mary's) dished 37 assists and shared the team lead with 12 digs, while adding three kills and two service aces. Junior libero Justine Thompson (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) and freshman Erin Kelly (Tinley Park, Ill./Marist) each chipped in with 12 digs, while Thompson added three service aces and two kills. Sophomore Laura Huselton (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) contributed nine kills and ten digs.
Junior Stephanie Devlin (Beverly, Mass./Masconomet Regional) led Saint Anselm with 12 kills and a .429 hitting percentage to go with five service aces. Sophomore Rachel Flaherty (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) collected 26 assists, eight digs and two kills, while freshman Margaret Tereschuk (Mission Viejo, Calif./Laguna Hills) posted a match-high 24 digs.
Andrea Wirth |
After splitting the first two games, Stonehill rebounded by capping the win with comfortable scores in sets three and four to claim the victory. The Skyhawks hit .265 in set three and .269 in the final set, posting five of their 12 service aces in the fourth set alone.
Stonehill led 16-14 in the third set, when a Huselton kill sparked a 7-0 run to all but sew up the set. Six of those points came with Wirth serving as Huselton posted a second kill during that run and Thompson also added a backline kill.
Stonehill used an 11-2 run to take command early in the fourth set. After Saint Anselm drew within 13-8, the Skyhawks clinched the victory with a 12-4 run. Junior Anna Berthiaume (Somersworth, N.H./Somersworth) played a big role in three of the Skyhawks final four points with two kills and a block assist, while Huselton closed the match out with her ninth kill after teaming with Berthiaume on the above mentioned block.
Stonehill (7-4, 2-0 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday night when it continues its four-game home stand against NE-10 preseason favorites Bentley University at 7 p.m. Saint Anselm (4-6, 0-2 NE-10) host Saint Michael's College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
