Skyhawks fall to Dowling, Pace on second day of competition

OAKDALE, N.Y. (September 4, 2010) – The Stonehill College volleyball team lost two non-conference matches on day two of the Golden Lion Classic on Saturday. The Skyhawks were swept 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-23) by host Dowling College in the early game, then fell to Pace University 3-2 (21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 19-25, 15-17) to conclude the afternoon.

Dowling 3, Stonehill 0

Senior Monika Kasperek-Szulc (Bielsko-Biala, Poland / IV L.O. KEN) tallied 11 kills and a .500 hitting percentage to lead Dowling to a 3-0 sweep of the Skyhawks in game one. Senior Erin Johnson (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) and junior Laura Huselton (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) led the Stonehill offense with nine kills each, and freshman Kirsten Arvidson (Andover, Mass./Andover) added six. Freshman Sydney Maxey (Hutto, Texas/Hutto) notched 14 digs.

Pace 3, Stonehill 2

After dropping the first set, Stonehill rallied to win the next two before falling in the fourth and fifth sets. Johnson recorded a team-high 14 kills and Huselton added 11, and senior Andrea Wirth (Mesa, Ariz./St. Mary's) collected 40 assists. The Skyhawk defense had five players finish with double figures in digs, led by Huselton’s 23 and Thompson’s 22.

Pace sophomore Nora Rugova (Mt. Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) led all players with 18 kills, and sophomore Susana Verdugo-Del Real (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwest) and seniors Victoria Pompilus (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon) and Sianna Johnson (Long Beach Calif./Long Beach Poly) also finished in double figures. Junior setter Shea Hansen (Mesa, Ariz./Red Mountain) recorded 58 assists on the day.

Stonehill (0-3, 0-0 NE-10) next plays on September 10 in a Bentley Invitational matchup against Georgian Court at 4 p.m. The Skyhawks’ first home match of the season will be on September 22, when they host Merrimack College at 7 p.m.