Skyhawks are returning to the NE10 Tournament after a three-year hiatus
DeLanty leads the team in three categories: hitting percentage, aces, and blocks per set |
NE10 Volleyball Championship Release
EASTON, Mass. (November 13, 2017) - As the fifth seed, Stonehill College volleyball will enter the Northeast-10 Conference Volleyball Championship tomorrow night for the first time since 2014. The Skyhawks will head to fourth-seeded Adelphi University for a 7:00 p.m. quarterfinal matchup in Garden City, New York at the Center for Recreation and Sport.
Admission for tomorrow night's contest is $6 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and children and $1 for students with a valid ID from an NE10 school. For those that cannot make it to Garden City, New York, live stats and a live stream of the match will both be available via www.stonehillskyhawks.com. The winner will advance to the semifinal round to take on the winner of the No. 8 Pace University at No. 1 University of New Haven matchup.
The Skyhawks (11-14, 8-6 NE10) finished the regular season in a four-way tie between Saint Anselm College, Southern Connecticut State University, and Pace University, earning the fifth seed, based on a 2-1 record in the mini conference and a head-to-head win versus the Hawks.
Stonehill enters post-season play led by senior captains Katherine DeLanty (Smithtown, New York/Smithtown West), ranked number fifth in the NE10 with a 0.92 blocking percentage and earning NE10 Co-Player of the Week honors once this season and Marykay Nasby (Belle Plaine, Minnesota/Belle Plaine) who has notched 103 kills during the regular season with an average of 1.30 kills per set. DeLanty has been an all-around player for the Skyhawks as she is ranked first in hitting percentage (.243), aces (0.25), and blocks per set (0.92), second on the team in kills per set (2.99), fifth in digs per set (1.51). Nasby has also totaled a career-best 18 aces this season and 25 total blocks.
Freshman setter Jessica Givens (Albuquerque, New Mexico/ St. Pius X), ranked second in assists per set averaged 9.99 in her first year in the Purple and White, as she also tallied Rookie of the Week honors once this season, has also been a key component to this season's success. Senior Claire Manuszak (Indianapolis, Indianapolis/Bishop Chatard) also secured a spot on the regular season NE10 leaderboard ranking sixth in digs per set, with an average of 4.67 and an impressive 411 digs total, registering a career high. The libero also became the all-time leader in digs this season as she broke Sydney Maxey's 1451 digs total.
Junior outside hitter Allyson Hughes (Modesto, California/Big Valley Christian) is ranked eighth in the NE10 in kills per set averaging a career-high 3.07, while she leads the team right now. Senior Ashley Hitchcock (Warrenville, Illinois/Benet Academy) with 121 kills this season, averaged 1.98 kills per set and 2.43 digs per set following Manuszak. Junior Megan Pennino (Wantagh, New York/Wantagh) joins the rest of the lineup, adding an impressive 0.62 blocks per set and 12 solo blocks this season.
Hughes leads the team with a career-high 3.07 kills per set |
In their recent regular season matchup against Adelphi University this past Friday, the Skyhawks were victorious in a 3-0 sweep of the Panthers, downing them in set scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-22. In the past 10 seasons, Stonehill has been present in the NE10 Tournament five times. Out of the five times, the Skyhawks have made it to the semifinal round four times. In the most recent playoff situation, Stonehill defeated Southern New Hampshire University, 3-1, and then fell to Bentley University, 3-0, in semifinal play.
Adelphi University (13-14, 9-5 NE10) will face Stonehill coming off of a 3-2 loss to Bentley University this past Saturday. Key players in the Adelphi lineup include Madison Canestrari (Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard), ranked first in the NE10 with 1.18 blocks per set, along with libero Katarina Warburton (San Mateo, Calif./Notre Dame Belmont), who is ranked third in the conference with 5.06 digs per set. McKenna Clawson (Ojai, Calif./Nordhoff) is the Panther's offensive powerhouse tallying 292 kills on the season with an average of 2.95 kills per set.
Last year, in the 2016 NE10 championship, the Adelphi University Panthers fell to New Haven in the finals, 3-1, after moving past Saint Anselm College and Pace University.
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.
Northeast-10 Championship Volleyball Schedule
Tuesday, November 14th
Quarterfinals at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #8 Pace at #1 New Haven (7:00 pm)
Match 2: #7 Southern Connecticut at #2 American International (7:00 pm)
Match 3: #6 Saint Anselm at #3 Bentley (7:00 pm)
Match 4: #5 Stonehill at #4 Adelphi (7:00 PM)
Friday, November 17th
Semifinals - at highest remaining seed following the quarterfinal matches
Match 5: Match 1 winner vs. Match 4 winner (5:00 pm or 7:30 pm)
Match 6: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner (5:00 pm or 7:30 pm)
Saturday, November 18th
Championship
Match 7: Match 5 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner (5:00 pm)
*Semifinals/Final – at highest seed remaining following Tuesday's Quarterfinal Round (final four at same location)
