Senior Emily Iverson recorded a double-double in her final regular season home match with 46 assists and 11 digs. |
Skyhawks claim a share of NE-10 regular season title, will host Southern New Hampshire in NE-10 Championship quarterfinal round Tuesday night
EASTON, Mass. (November 8, 2014) – Senior setter Emily Iverson (Elmhurst, Illinois/York) recorded 46 assists and classmate Meaghan Lee (Hanover, Massachusetts/Notre Dame Academy) hit .290 with a team-high 13 kills, but Stonehill College fell to The College of Saint Rose, 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 23-25, 16-14) on Senior Day this afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference volleyball action at Merkert Gymnasium.
Despite the loss, Stonehill (20-6, 11-3 NE-10) still claimed a share of the NE-10 regular season title, as the University of New Haven dropped its finale at Southern New Hampshire University today. The Skyhawks, ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA East Region rankings, earn the second seed in next week's NE-10 Championship by virtue of the league's tie-breaking policy and will host seventh-seeded Southern New Hampshire on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Saint Rose (18-7, 10-4 NE-10) ends up as the sixth-seed, and the Golden Knights will be on the road Tuesday to take on fourth-seeded Adelphi University.
Iverson hit .263 with six kills and 11 digs to go with her 46 assists for her second consecutive double-double and eighth of the season, while Lee posted a .290 attack percentage and chipped in defensively with four digs and a block assist.
Junior outside hitters Kelsey Weymouth (North Attleboro, Massachusetts/North Attleboro) and Delia Phillips (St. James, New York/Smithtown East) combined for 22 kills and seven digs as Stonehill lost for just the second time all season on its home court.
For the second consecutive contest, senior Mary Nelson (Rochester, New Hampshire/Spaulding) turned in a career-high for digs, as her team-high of 15 this afternoon surpassed her 11-dig performance in last night's five-set victory over Le Moyne College.
Freshman libero Claire Manuszak (Indianapolis, Indiana/Bishop Chatard) matched Nelson's effort with 15 digs of her own, while freshman outside hitter Ashley Hitchcock (Warrenville, Illinois/Benet Academy) tied a match-high with four service aces.
Senior middle blocker Mary-Kate Catton (San Diego, California/Academy of Our Lady of Peace) finished with six kills, four digs, and two block assists, and freshman Katherine DeLanty (Smithtown, New York/Smithtown West) tallied five kills and two block assists.
Saint Rose was led by sophomore middle hitter Maryellen Devic (Orchard Park, New York/Orchard Park), who hit .308 with 16 kills and 16 digs. Junior outside hitter Kelsey Lace (Glendale, Rhode Island/Mount Saint Charles) posted a .500 attack clip with 15 kills and just one error in 28 attempts, while senior Ariana Wilson (Poughkeepsie, New York/Arlington) recorded 11 digs and six kills.
Senior Meaghan Lee posted a team-best 13 kills in Stonehill's 3-2 loss to Saint Rose today. |
Senior Tori Daniels (South Hadley, Massachusetts/Frontier Regional) and sophomore Erica Ziskin (Burnt Hills, New York/Burnt Hills) split the setting duties for the Golden Knights, with Daniels dishing out 24 assists and Ziskin finishing with 21. Senior libero Katy Daniels (South Hadley, Massachusetts/Frontier Regional) led all players with 23 digs in the match while also tying Hitchcock for the match-high with four service aces.
Stonehill got out to a strong start this afternoon, turning in a match-best .300 attack percentage in the opening set en route to a 25-22 triumph. Trailing 18-14 midway through the frame, the Skyhawks posted a 6-0 run to take a 20-18 lead. Stonehill eventually took a 24-20 lead, winning the set three plays later on a kill by Weymouth.
Saint Rose turned the tables on the Skyhawks in the second frame, winning by a 25-22 score to even the match. The Golden Knights scored the first point of the set and never trailed, leading by as many as seven (15-8). Stonehill made it interesting at the end, pulling to within one (23-22), but a kill by Saint Rose freshman middle hitter Maddy Halverson (Minneapolis, Minnesota/Saint Croix Lutheran) followed by a Stonehill attack error ended the set.
The Golden Knights continued their strong play in the third frame, recording a .333 attack percentage compared to Stonehill's -.028 clip. For the second straight set, the Golden Knights scored the first point and never trailed, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
Stonehill bounced back in the fourth frame, winning by a 25-23 score to force a fifth set. Stonehill won the first three points, holding onto the lead until Saint Rose tied the score at six. The two teams would trade runs until the set was tied at 19 and again at 21. The Golden Knights won the next point for their final lead of the set, as Stonehill used a 3-0 run to go up 24-22. A kill from Lace pulled the visitors back to within a point, before Catton sent the match to a fifth and final set with a kill of her own.
Saint Rose took control early in the fifth frame, forcing the Skyhawks to call a timeout as the Golden Knights held a 10-6 lead. Stonehill posted a 6-2 run to even the set at 12, and the teams traded the next four points, with Saint Rose calling a timeout after an attack error on Devic tied the score at 14. Coming out of the timeout, an attack error on Weymouth followed by a kill from junior Carissa Dube (Milford, Pennsylvania/Delaware Valley) gave the Golden Knights the win in the set and the match.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.
