Sophomore Delia Phillips registered season-highs today with 24 kills and 19 digs to lead Stonehill past Southern Connecticut, 3-2. |
Skyhawks pushed to fifth set, earn conference victory
EASTON, Mass. (October 26, 2013) – The Stonehill College volleyball team won the first, third, and fifth sets today to defeat visiting Southern Connecticut State University, 3-2 (25-17, 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 15-8), in Northeast-10 action at Merkert Gymnasium. The win snaps a three-match skid for Stonehill, and gives the Skyhawks their first conference victory since a 3-0 sweep of Southern New Hampshire University on October 8th.
Sophomore outside hitter Delia Phillips (St. James, N.Y./Smithtown East) was spectacular, recording her tenth double-double of the season on a season-high 24 kills and 19 digs while hitting .327. Phillips also added two aces and a block to lead Stonehill to victory. Senior Kirsten Arvidson (Andover, Mass./Andover) was key to Stonehill's offense today as well, as the captain hit a team-best .400 with 17 kills.
Junior setter Emily Iverson (Elmhurst, Ill./York) dished out a match-high 44 assists to go with ten digs, and freshman setter Taylor Stevens (Foster, R.I./Ponaganset) contributed 18 assists and two aces. Senior libero Jessica Frankowski (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) paced the defense with 24 digs, and senior captain Sydney Maxey (Hutto, Texas/Hutto) tallied 18 digs and six kills.
Southern Connecticut was led by senior outside hitters Lauren McVey (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker), who hit .250 with 24 digs and 13 kills, and Jade Black (Overland Park, Kan./Hudson (Ohio)/Iowa Lakes CC), who racked up 14 digs with seven kills. Setters Taylor Carlson (Centennial, Colo./Overland) and Nicole Hauser (Stevens Point, Wis./Stevens Point Area) combined for 40 assists, and senior Sarah Beres (Ellington, Conn./Ellington) added 12 digs and six kills.
Stonehill jumped out to a 1-0 set lead after easily taking the first frame, but the Owls tied things up with a tight victory in the second set. After winning the third and dropping the fourth, Stonehill appeared to be on the ropes in the final frame, as Southern Connecticut scored the first three points. The Skyhawks scored the next five, however, and never looked back, taking the final frame 15-8.
Stonehill (13-10, 5-2 NE-10) returns to action on Tuesday night with an NE-10 match at Merrimack College, and then hits the road again on Friday for a contest at conference-leading New Haven. The Skyhawks will be back in Merkert Gym on Friday, November 8th, when they host Adelphi University at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut (13-9, 3-6 NE-10) will look to halt its two-match losing streak on Tuesday night, when it visits Mercy College in non-conference play.
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